SAWDUST 
SPANGLES 


STORIES    &    SECRETS 
OF     THE     CIRCUS 


BY 


W.   C.    COUP 


Herbert  S.  Stone  and  Company 

Eldridge    Court,     Chicago 

MDCCCCI 


COPYRIGHT,     IQOI,    IT 
HERBERT     S.     STONE    4     CO 


THE  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
SANTA    BARBARA 


CONTENTS 

FOREWORD ix 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.     BOYHOOD  WITH  THE  OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  i 

My  First  Exciting  Experience 4 

The  Intelligence  of  Elephants 5 

Fights  with  the  Grangers 6 

"Doc  "  Baird  and  the  Bully 9 

Teasing  OkTRomeo 10 

The  Story  of  a  Stolen  Negro 12 

Horse  Thieves  in  the  Circus 15 

II.     THE  PERILOUS  BUSINESS  OF  STOCKING  A  MEN- 
AGERIE   18 

Beasts  at  Wholesale 20 

The  Professional  Animal  Hunter c 21 

Striking  into  the  Interior 22 

Hunters'  Life  in  the  Jungle 23 

Why  Baby  Elephants  are  Hard  to  Capture  26 

Across  the  Desert  with  Captive  Beasts 29 

The  Adventures  of  Specimen  Hunters 31 

III.     FREAKS  AND  FAKES 35 

The  Burial  and  Resurrection  of  the  '  'Car- 
diff Giant"  37 

The  Rival  White  Elephants 40 

How  the  "Light  of  Asia"  Embarrassed 

the  Lecturer 41 

The  Wild  Cave-Dweller  of  Kentucky 44 

The   Two-Headed    Girl's    Three-Headed 

Rival 46 

v 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

Missing  Links  and  Dancing  Turkeys 49 

The  Salaries  Paid  to  Freaks 50 

The  Love-Making  and  Merrymaking  of 

the  Freaks 51 

The  Exposure  of  the  "Aztec  Children"....     54 

An  Adventure  with  a  Circus  Shark 56 

IV.    MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW 59 

The  First  Attempt  to  Move  a  Circus  by 

Rail 61 

The  Spartan  Habits  of  the  Old  Timers 63 

Seven  Heartbreaking  Days  on  the  Long 

Road 64 

Performing  by   Day  and    Traveling    by 

Night 67 

On  a  Runaway  Circus  Train 69 

Panic  Among  the  Animals 71 

A  Single  Track  and  a  Broken  Rail 73 

The  Bronchos'  Charmed  Life 75 

Old  Romeo  to  the  Rescue 77 

An  Unexpected  Midnight  Bath 79 

V.     THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE 86 

A  Chance  Meeting  with  a  Great  Man 96 

VI.     BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW 104 

Novel  Advertising  Features 105 

The  "Devil's  Whistle" 106 

"Spotters" .„ 108 

Rivalry  in  Exploiting  Opposition  Shows...  112 

Costly  Rivalry 113 

Idle  Bill-Posters 116 

The  Courtesy  of  Editors 118 

Jumbo's  Free  Advertising 120 

VII.     PARADES  AND  BAND  WAGONS 124 

The  Fifty  Cent  Rivals  of  the  Ten  Thou- 
sand Dollar  Hippos 124 

A  Skillful  Appeal  to  Public  Sympathy 126 


CONTENTS  vii 

CHAP.  PAGE 

A  Silent  Parade  from  Albany  to  the  State 

Line 128 

The  Fluctuating  Level  of  Circus  Values...  130 
What  it  Costs  to  Ride  with  the    Band 

Wagon 132 

Requirements    and    Cost    of   the   Circus 

Horse 134 

A  Page  from  the  Invoice  Book  of  the  Big 

Show  136 

VIII.     ANECDOTES  OF  MEN  AND  ANIMALS 139 

Origin  of  the  American  Circus 139 

The  First  Elephant  Brought  to  America...  141 

The  First  Drove  of  Camels 144 

The  Fight  of  the  Ostriches 145 

The  Belligerent  Alliga  tors 149 

Parrots  and  Cockatoos 153 

Educated  Dogs 154 

A  Wounded  Horse  in  the  Grand  March  ...  156 

Intelligent  Bronchos 158 

The  King  of  the  Herd 159 

An  Elephant's  Humor  160 

Zi^lus  in  London 162 

IX.     TRAINING  ANIMALS  AND  PERFORMERS 169 

The  Perils  of  a  Trainer's  Life 170 

Where  Steady  Nerves  are  in  Demand......  172 

Captured    Animals    Preferred    to   Cage- 
Born' 173 

The  Education  of  a  Young  Jaguar 174 

The  Leopards  at  Kindergarten 177 

How  they  Punish  Unruly  Pupils  179 

Punishment  of  Treacherous  Beasts 180 

A  Single-Handed  Fight  with  Five  Lions  ..  182 

Teaching  the  Horse  the  Two-Step 186 

Ring  Performers  Trained  with  a  Derrick.  187 
Circus  People  a  Long-Lived  Class 189 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAP.  i-AGB 

X.    MOBS,  CYCLONES  AND  ADVENTURES 192 

Forcible  Argument  with  a  City  Marshal...  193 
Breaking  Camp  under  a  Hot  Rifle  Fire....  195 

Ambushed  and  Shot  at  on  the  Road 197 

The  Studies  of  the  Apprentice  to  the  Clown  201 
Devotional  Services  Upset  by  a  Demon...  204 
The  Wild  Beasts  Loose  in  the  Big  Crowd.  205 
The  Midnight  Stampede  of  the  Elephants  208 

A  Polar  Bear  Hunt  on  Fifth  Avenue 209 

An  Equine  Officer  of  Artillery 211 

XI.     STORIES  OF  OLD-TIME  SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN.  214 

Dan  Rice's  One-Horse  Show 215 

Tan-Bark  Oratory  and  Harlequin  Pluck...  217 

An  Imitation  Patriot  Shown  Up 219 

In  which  Cupid  was  Master  of  the  Ring...  223 
Barnum's  One  Unconquerable   Supersti- 
tion    227 

Gullible  Patrons  in  Early  Days 229 

Expedients  of  Advance  Agents 231 

Plantation  Shows 234 

Exhibiting  "  Yankees"  in  the  South 235 

Sleeping  in  Strange  Attitudes 236 

A  Circus  "Crier" '. 238 

Showmen's  Names 239 

The  Escape  of  a  Leopard 241 

Hotel  Keepers 243 

Early  Breakfasts 245 

XII.     How  THE  GREAT  NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM  WAS 

MADE  AND  LOST 247 

The  Quest  of  the  Tree-Tailed  Kingio 249 

Half-Hours  with  Bashful  Whales 251 

A  Slippery  Deal  in  Sea-Lions 254 

An    Eventful    Monday  Morning    at   the 

Aquarium 258 

The  Ultimate  Fate  of  the  Aquarium 260 


FOREWORD 

The  notes  from  which  the  following  nar- 
rative was  drawn  were  dictated  by  Mr.  W.  C. 
Coup  at  odd  moments  in  the  big  show  tent,  the 
special  car  or  the  hotel  where  he  chanced  to 
find  himself  with  a  half -hour  at  his  disposal. 
The  manner  and  the  motive  of  their  writing 
unite  to  contribute  to  their  charm  and  effec- 
tiveness. His  unbounded  enthusiasm  for  his 
peculiar  calling  and  his  desire  so  to  state  the 
facts  of  his  experience  as  to  give  the  general 
public  a  fairer  and  fuller  understanding  of  its 
real  conditions  inspired  him  to  the  labor  of 
crowding  into  his  busy  life  the  pleasant  task 
of  putting  upon  paper  the  main  points  of  his 
interesting  career. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  fortunate 
than  the  fact  that  he  was  compelled  to  do  this 
in  a  manner  wholly  informal, — intending  later 
to  put  his  haphazard  notes  into  good  literary 
form.  His  recollections  fell  from  his  lips  as 
they  came  into  his  mind,  in  the  forceful  and 
picturesque  phraseology  of  the  typical  show- 
man. To  preserve  this  original  quality  has 
ix 


x  FOREWORD 

been  the  effort  constantly  held  in  view  in 
grouping  these  notes  for  publication.  The 
terse  idiom  of  the  offhand  dictation  has  been 
consistently  retained  and  gives  the  true  "show" 
color  and  flavor  to  the  stirring  scenes,  adven- 
tures and  incidents  with  which  the  book  deals. 

Of  Mr.  Coup's  prominence  in  his  profession 
it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  speak,  and  I  think 
none  will  venture  to  question  the  statement 
that  he  was  the  founder  and  pioneer  in  Amer- 
ica of  the  circus  business  pure  and  simple,  as 
distinguished  from  other  lines  of  show  enter- 
prise, and  that  the  story  of  his  life  would  inci- 
dentally furnish  a  concise  history  of  the  circus 
on  this  continent.  His  name  was  a  family 
word  in  homes  of  the  people  of  every  part  of 
the  United  States  during  the  period  of  his 
greatest  activity.  The  main  incidents  of  his 
career  may  be  tersely  stated  as  follows : 

William  Cameron  Coup  was  born  in  Mount 
Pleasant,  Ind.,  in  1837.  While  he  was  still  a 
boy,  his  father  bought  the  local  tavern  in  a 
small  country  village.  The  business  of  hotel 
keeping  did  not  commend  itself  to  the  future 
showman,  who  left  home  and  took  the  position 
of  "devil"  in  a  country  newspaper  office. 
Soon,  however,  he  became  dissatisfied  with  the 
opportunities  which  the  printing  craft  seemed 


FOREWORD  xi 

to  present,  and  started  out  to  find  something 
which  better  suited  his  unformed  and  perhaps 
romantic  ideas  of  a  profession.  After  a  hard 
tramp  of  several  miles  he  chanced  to  encounter 
a  show,  and  immediately  determined  that  this 
was  the  field  to  which  he  would  devote  his 
energies  and  in  which  he  would  make  for  him- 
self a  name  and  a  fortune.  With  this  show  he 
served  an  apprenticeship,  in  a  humble  capac- 
ity, and  gained  a  clear  idea  of  the  essentials 
of  the  business. 

In  1 86 1  he  secured  the  side-show  privileges 
of  the  E.  F.  &  J.  Mabie  Circus,  then  the  larg- 
est show  in  America.  He  remained  with  this 
firm  until  1866,  when  he  secured  similar  priv- 
ileges with  the  Yankee  Robinson  Circus,  with 
which  he  allied  himself  until  1 869.  In  the  latter 
year  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  the  cele- 
brated Dan  Costello  and  entered  upon  the  first 
of  the  original  ventures  marking  as  many  dis- 
tinct epochs  in  the  history  of  the  circus  in 
America.  This  departure  was  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  show  which  traveled  by  boat  and 
stopped  at  all  the  principal  lake  ports  of  the 
great  inland  seas.  This  enterprise  was  a  de- 
cided success. 

At  that  time  Mr.  P.  T.  Barnum  had  never 
been  in  the  circus  business,  and  Mr.  Coup  had 


xii  FOREWORD 

not  personally  met  this  king  of  showmen.  He 
keenly  appreciated,  however,  the  prestige 
which  Mr.  Barnum's  name  would  give  to  a 
circus  enterprise,  and  went  to  New  York  for 
the  purpose  of  interesting  Mr.  Barnum  in  an 
enterprise  of  this  character.  This  object  he 
had  no  difficulty  in  accomplishing,  and  in  the 
Spring  of  1870  they  put  an  immense  show  on 
the  road,  which  toured  the  eastern  States  and 
was  highly  successful. 

The  next  year  marked  a  turning  point  in  the 
career  of  Mr.  Coup  and  also  in  that  of  the 
traveling  show  business.  He  was  the  first  man 
who  ever  called  the  railroad  into  service  for  the 
purpose  of  moving  a  circus  and  menagerie. 
This  significant  step  was  taken  in  opposition  to 
the  judgment  of  his  partner,  P.  T.  Barnum, 
and  in  the  face  of  the  doubts  and  objections  of 
the  leading  railroad  officials  of  the  country. 
But  Mr.  Coup's  faith  in  the  results  of  this 
"rapid  transportation  movement"  was  firm, 
and  he  astonished  Mr.  Barnum  and  the  entire 
public  by  the  phenomenal  success  of  this  ven- 
ture, which  brought  a  rich  harvest  of  money 
and  reputation. 

The  project  of  building  a  permanent  amuse- 
ment palace  in  New  York  came  to  Mr.  Coup  in 
1874.  Under  his  supervision,  and  while  Mr. 


FOREWORD  xiii 

Barnum  was  in  Europe,  he  erected,  on  the 
present  site  of  the  Madison  Square  Garden,  the 
famous  New  York  Hippodrome.  His  labors 
in  this  connection  were  so  arduous  that,  when 
the  great  enterprise  was  thoroughly  estab- 
lished, he  felt  obliged  to  take  a  long  rest.  To 
this  end  he  severed  his  partnership  with  Mr. 
Barnum,  and  in  1875  took  his  fainily  to 
Europe. 

Immediately  following  his  return  to  Amer- 
ica, in  the  spring  of  1876,  Mr.  Coup  announced 
that  he  had  formed  a  new  co-partnership  with 
Mr.  Charles  Reiche,  for  the  purpose  of  starting 
another  mammoth  enterprise  to  be  known  as 
the  New  York  Aquarium.  A  large  building 
especially  designed  for  this  purpose  was 
erected  at  the  corner  of  Thirty-fifth  Street  and 
Broadway,  and  was  opened  October  n,  1876. 
Into  this  enterprise  Mr.  Coup  threw  the  ener- 
gies and  ambitions  of  a  lifetime,  and  so  long 
as  he  retained  its  management  the  great  under- 
taking was  notably  successful. 

His  labors  in  this  connection  brought  him 
into  relationship  with  the  most  celebrated 
scientists  of  the  world,  and  many  of  them 
became  his  personal  friends.  Scribner's  Mag- 
azine devoted  many  pages  to  an  article  describ- 
ing the  Aquarium,  and  referred  to  Mr.  Coup  as 


xiv  FOREWORD 

a  benefactor  of  science  and  as  a  valued  con- 
tributor to  a  more  popular  knowledge  of  biol- 
ogy. Probably  no  other  recognition  ever 
received  by  Mr.  Coup  from  the  press  gave  him 
the  satisfaction  which  he  gained  from  this 
magazine  article. 

Because  of  disagreements  with  his  partner, 
who  was  determined  to  open  the  Aquarium 
Sundays,  for  the  patronage  of  the  public,  he 
disposed  of  his  business  at  a  great  sacrifice,  and 
started  out  on  the  road  with  the  "Equescur- 
riculum, "  an  entirely  novel  and  original  exhi- 
bition consisting  of  trained  bronchos,  perform- 
ing dogs,  goats,  giraffes,  etc.,  and  troupes  of 
Japanese  acrobats.  Each  year  new  attractions 
were  added  to  this  show,  and,  in  1879,  the  New 
United  Monster  Shows  were  organized  by  Mr. 
Coup  and  developed  into  one  of  the  largest 
consolidated  circuses  in  the  United  States. 

Four  year  later,  he  established  the  Chicago 
Museum  in  the  building  then  known  as  Mc- 
Cormick  Hall  and  located  at  the  corner  of 
Kinzie  and  Clark  streets,  Chicago.  Wild  West 
shows  and  trained  animal  exhibitions  engaged 
his  energies  from  1884  to  1890. 

The  "Enchanted  Rolling  Palaces  were  put 
out  in  1891  and  created  a  profound  sensation 
throughout  the  entire  country.  This  show  was 


FOREWORD  xv 

a  popular  museum  housed  in  an  expensive  and 
elaborate  train  of  cars  especially  constructed 
for  the  purpose.  With  this  enterprise  he 
toured  the  southern  and  eastern  States.  This 
was  practically  his  last  important  undertaking, 
and  his  latest  years  were  spent  in  practical 
retirement,  although  he  occasionally  varied  the 
monotony  of  life  at  his  country  seat  at  Dela- 
van,  Wis.,  by  engaging  in  new  ventures  and 
making  short  tours  with  trained  animal  exhi- 
bitions. His  death  occurred  at  Jacksonville, 
Fla.,  March  4,  1895. 


SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 


BOYHOOD   WITH   THE   OLD-TIME 
WAGON   SHOW 

As  many  a  boy  has  come  into  the  circus  busi- 
ness in  much  the  same  manner  that  I  entered 
it  (at  the  age  of  fourteen  years),  this  start  in 
show  life  may  be  of  some  interest  because 
typical  of  the  way  in  which  young  lads  drift 
into  this  wandering  existence.  Doing  chores 
about  my  father's  tavern  in  a  little  southern 
Indiana  town  brought  me  in  contact  with  such 
travelers  as  visited  our  quiet  community. 
Listening  to  their  talk  and  stories  naturally 
inspired  me  with  a  desire  to  see  something  of 
the  big  and  wonderful  world  outside  our  vil- 
lage. As  this  was  impossible  at  the  time,  I  did 
what  seemed  the  next  best  thing  so  far  as  get- 
ting in  touch  with  the  world  was  concerned. 
When  only  twelve  years  old  I  took  the  position 


2  SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

of  "devil"  in  the  country  newspaper  office,  and 
for  years  worked  at  the  printer's  case,  helped 
"run  off"  the  paper  on  the  old  Franklin  press 
and  did  almost  every  disagreeable  task  that 
could  be  put  on  the  shoulders  of  a  boy. 

This  seemed  quite  exciting  at  the  start,  but 
it  finally  grew  monotonous,  and  the  boyish 
longing  for  travel  and  adventure  came  back 
to  me  with  redoubled  force.  As  my  mother 
had  died  when  I  was  very  young,  and  father 
had  married  again,  surrounding  himself  with  a 
second  family,  my  home  ties,  though  pleasant 
enough,  were  not  what  they  might  have  been 
had  my  own  mother  lived.  The  printer  in  the 
little  newspaper  office  who  was  dignified  by  the 
title  of  foreman  had  seemed  to  take  quite  a 
fancy  to  me,  and  we  became  rather  close  com- 
panions. One  day  when  the  spirit  of  restless- 
ness and  adventure  was  strong  upon  me  I 
confided  to  him  that  I  was  tired  of  our  slow  old 
town  and  suggested  that  we  pack  our  few  be- 
longings in  bundles  and  start  out  for  some 
place  which  would  offer  us  a  bigger  chance  to 
get  on.  This  proposal,  with  the  beautiful  sum- 
mer weather,  started  the  slumbering  tendency 
to  wander  that  lurks  in  the  heart  of  every  true 
printer. 

Placing  a  few  necessaries  in  two  bundles,  we 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  3 

quietly  left  the  village  in  regulation  tramp- 
printer  style.  At  length  we  reached  Terre 
Haute,  where  I  was  offered  employment  in  a 
newspaper  office.  I  realized  that  I  knew  very 
little  of  the  printing  craft,  and  that  it  would 
take  many  years  of  hard,  up-hill  work  to  make 
me  a  master  of  the  art.  Consequently  I  de- 
termined to  find  some  other  line  of  employ- 
ment more  exciting  than  that  of  "sticking 
type."  The  first  thing  we  heard  was  that  a 
circus  was  showing  in  the  town.  This  caught 
my  fancy,  and  I  told  my  companion  that  I  was 
going  to  join  the  circus  and  see  something  of 
the  world.  He  was  disgusted  at  this  proposal, 
and  very  plainly  warned  me  that  if  I  took  such 
a  course  I  would  make  a  worthless  loafer  of 
myself.  But  my  circus  blood  was  up,  and  I 
put  my  resolve  into  immediate  action,  little 
dreaming  that  I  was  taking  the  first  step  in  a 
career  that  was  to  become  a  part  of  the  history 
of  the  show  business  in  America. 

The  show  which  I  joined  was  one  of  the 
largest  then  in  existence,  having  more  than  a 
hundred  horses,  ten  fine  Ceylon  elephants,  a 
gorgeously  carved  and  painted  "Car  of  Jug- 
gernaut," and  many  other  "attractions"  which 
seemed  marvelous  in  my  boyish  eyes.  Not  the 
least  of  these  in  point  of  attractiveness  and 


4  SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

popularity  was  General  "Tom"  Thumb,  who 
was  petted  and  feasted  wherever  he  went. 
But  Nellis,  the  man  without  arms  who  could 
paint  pictures  and  shoot  pennies  from  the  fin- 
gers of  the  manager,  claimed  a  large  share  of 
my  silent  admiration.  . 

MY  FIRST  EXCITING  EXPERIENCE 

My  first  exciting  experience  came  very  early 
in  my  service.  I  had  learned  that  the  very 
best  use  to  which  I  could  put  my  time  when 
not  actually  engaged  in  work  was  to  throw  my- 
self on  the  nearest  bunch  of  hay  and  sleep 
until  awakened  by  the  "boss."  Having  a 
boy's  natural  affinity  for  an  elephant  I  chose, 
on  this  particular  day,  the  hay  near  which  the 
Ceylon  drove  was  staked.  In  the  midst  of  my 
dreams  I  was  suddenly  awakened  by  a  strange 
sensation — a  peculiar  sense  of  motion  that  had 
something  startling  and  uncanny  about  it. 
Then  I  realized  that  I  was  being  lifted  in  the 
coils  of  an  elephant's  trunk.  So  intense  was 
my  horror  at  awakening  to  find  myself  in  this 
position  that  I  had  strength  neither  to  resist 
nor  to  cry  out.  My  helplessness  was  my 
greatest  protection.  From  sheer  inability  to 
do  otherwise  I  remained  entirely  passive,  and 
Old  Romeo,  the  king  of  the  drove,  laid  me 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  5 

« 

gently  down  a  little  distance  from  the  hay  on 
which  I  had  been  sleeping.  Then  I  under- 
stood the  intelligence  of  the  elephant  and  the 
harmlessness  of  his  intentions.  He  had  eaten 
all  the  hay  save  that  on  which  I  was  stretched, 
and  to  get  at  this  he  had  lifted  me  with  as 
much  care  as  a  mother  takes  up  a  sleeping 
child  whom  she  does  not  wish  to  waken. 

THE  INTELLIGENCE  OF  ELEPHANTS 

Only  one  other  instance  of  elephant  intelli- 
gence ever  impressed  me  more  than  this 
awakening  in  the  grasp  of  Old  Romeo.  One 
of  the  small  members  of  the  drove  was  trained 
to  walk  a  rope — or  more  properly  a  belt — the 
width  of  his  foot.  This  performance  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  baby  elephant,  and  one  day 
I  noticed  the  little  fellow  stealthily  unhooking 
the  chain  by  which  he  was  tethered.  Then  he 
boldly  attempted  to  walk  the  guard  chain 
which  surrounds  the  drove  in  every  menagerie. 
The  same  baby  elephant,  one  day  seeing  the 
men  shoveling  to  throw  up  a  ring  embankment, 
contrived  to  get  a  shovel  in  his  trunk.  At  once 
he  attempted  to  stab  the  blade  into  the  earth. 
Failing  in  this  effort  to  imitate  the  men  he  flew 
into  a  passion  and  threw  the  tool  to  the  ground, 
trampling  on  it  and  breaking  the  handle. 


6          SAW-DUST  AND   SPANGLES 

In  those  first  days  of  my  novitiate  I  found 
the  people  almost  as  interesting  as  the  ele- 
phants— which  is  saying  much  from  the  point 
of  view  of  a  boy.  The  crudity  of  society  at 
that  period  is  vividly  illustrated  by  an  incident 
which  occurred  soon  after  we  had  crossed  over 
into  Illinois.  We  were  showing  at  the  little 
town  of  Oquawka  and  "put  up"  at  the  only 
tavern  there.  The  dining-room  of  this  hostelry 
was  papered  with  circus  bills.  Our  first  meal 
introduced  me  to  a  scene  so  outlandish  that  I 
shall  never  forget  it.  Shortly  after  we  had 
seated  ourselves  at  the  rough  board  table,  the 
kitchen  door  was  pushed  open  by  a  tall,  lank 
young  countryman  of  a  fierce  and  forbidding 
countenance.  He  wore  a  broad-brimmed  hat, 
heavy  cowhide  boots — in  the  tops  of  which 
were  buried  the  ends  of  his  trouser  legs — and 
a  red  flannel  shirt.  From  his  belt  protruded  a 
huge  bowie  knife.  In  his  hand  he  carried  a 
sixteen-quart  pan  heaped  with  steaming  pota- 
toes. As  he  strode  across  the  room  he  shouted : 
"Who  in  hell  wants  pertaters?" 

FIGHTS  WITH  THE  GRANGERS 

The  novelty  of  all  these  curious  and  wonder- 
ful sights  wore  away  after  awhile,  and  then  be- 
gan my  circus  life  in  all  its  stern  reality.  The 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  7 

hardships  and  trials  and  the  rough  attaches  of 
that  "vast  aggregation' '  can  never  be  forgotten. 
If  the  showmen  were  rough,  so  also  were  our 
patrons.  The  sturdy  sons  of  toil  came  to  the 
show  eager  to  resent  any  imagined  insult;  and 
failing  to  fight  with  the  showmen,  would  often 
fight  among  themselves;  for  in  the  days  of 
Abraham  Lincoln's  childhood  the  people  di- 
vided themselves  into  cliques,  and  county-seats 
were  often  the  arenas  selected  to  settle  family 
feuds.  In  other  words,  "fighting  was  in  the 
air, ' '  and,  as  may  be  imagined,  the  showmen 
received  their  full  share  of  it.  It  was  no  in- 
frequent occurrence  to  be  set  upon  by  a  party 
of  roughs,  who  were  determined  to  show  their 
prowess  and  skill  as  marksmen  with  fists  and 
clubs  if  required.  As  a  consequence  showmen 
went  armed,  prepared  to  hold  their  own 
against  any  odds.  Not  once  a  month,  or  even 
once  a  week,  but  almost  daily,  would  these 
fights  occur,  and  so  desperately  were  they 
entered  into  that  they  resembled  pitched  bat- 
tles more  than  anything  else.  Many  years 
later,  when  describing  this  part  of  my  career 
and  later  battles  and  circus  fights  to  General 
Grant  and  Governor  Crittenden  at  St.  Louis, 
in  which  city  my  show  was  exhibiting,  they 
admitted  that  my  experience  in  thrilling  and 


8  SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

startling  incidents  compared  favorably  with 
their  own,  the  difference  being  that  they  had 
perfect  discipline  and  were  backed  by  a  power- 
ful government,  whilst  for  showmen  there 
seemed  to  be  little  sympathy. 

The  roads  at  that  time  were  in  a  terrible 
condition — so  bad  that  slight  rains  would  con- 
vert them  into  seas  of  mud,  and  a  continued 
rainstorm  would  make  them  impassable. 

One  day  one  of  our  men  became  so  immersed 
in  quicksand  that  he  sunk  up  to  his  armpits, 
and  would  have  been  very  quickly  swallowed 
up  entirely  had  not  some  of  his  old  comrades 
come  to  his  rescue.  Fastening  one  end  of  a 
long  rope  around  his  body,  they  drew  him 
from  his  perilous  position  with  the  aid  of  a 
team  of  horses,  and  with  so  much  force  that  a 
very  necessary  part  of  his  attire  was  left  com- 
pletely behind  him.  These  and  other  rigorous 
scenes  were  occurrences  to  which  I  became 
inured. 

In  these  peaceful  days  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  realize  the  rough  and  desperate  char- 
acter of  the  people  in  the  backwoods  districts 
from  which  the  old-time  wagon  shows  drew 
their  principal  patronage.  Even  the  latter-day 
circus  men  have  no  adequate  conception  of 
the  improvement  which  time  has  wrought  in 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  9 

the  general  character  of  the  show-going  public 
in  the  country  communities.  There  is  no 
denying  the  fact  that  then,  as  now,  the  at- 
tache's of  the  big  circus  were  rather  poor  speci- 
mens of  humanity;  but  in  common  justice  it 
must  be  said  that  some  of  their  pioneer  patrons 
were  more  than  a  match  for  them.  Never 
shall  I  forget  the  awful  impression  made  upon 
my  boyish  mind  by  the  first  combat  of  this 
kind  which  I  witnessed.  Although  I  had  not 
been  long  with  the  show,  I  had  caught  the  pre- 
vailing sentiment  that  we  were  constantly  in  the 
"land  of  the  Philistines,"  that  the  hand  of 
every  man  was  against  us,  and  that  our  only 
safety  was  in  perpetual  alertness  and  the  ready 
determination  to  stand  together  and  fight  for 
our  rights  on  the  slightest  signal  of  disturb- 
ance. 

"DOC"   BAIRD  AND  THE  BULLY 

Connected  with  the  side-show  of  the  circus 
was  a  quiet  inoffensive  little  man  known  as 
"Doc"  Baird.  While  we  were  showing  in  a 
county-seat,  the  bully  of  the  community,  who 
was  evidently  bent  upon  displaying  his  cour- 
age, singled  out  the  little  "doctor"  as  his  vic- 
tim and  proceeded  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  him. 
This  proved  a  difficult  thing  to  do,  for  Baird 


io         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

was  decidedly  pacific  in  his  disposition  and 
preferred  to  stand  abuse  rather  than  fight.  I 
was  among  the  attache's  of  the  show  who  wit- 
nessed the  trouble,  and  it  seemed  to  me  a 
shame  that  a  big  fellow  like  the  bully  should 
be  permitted  to  terrorize  the  most  inoffensive 
of  all  the  showmen.  Suddenly  the  altercation 
grew  warmer,  the  bully's  arm  shot  forward 
and  the  little  doctor  was  knocked  to  the 
ground.  Instantly,  however,  he  was  on  his 
feet,  and  the  next  moment  I  heard  the  sharp 
report  of  a  pistol,  saw  the  smoke  curl  from  the 
muzzle  of  the  arm  and  watched  the  fall  of  the 
bully.  This  was  the  first  time  in  my  life 
that  I  ever  looked  upon  the  face  of  the  dead 
or  witnessed  any  affray  of  a  fatal  character. 
The  shock  and  shuddering  which  it  caused  me 
were  so  great  that  I  actually  attempted  to 
leave  the  show  business,  but  was  soon  back 
again  into  the  "current  of  destiny"  and  became 
inured  to  these  exciting  scenes. 

TEASING    OLD    ROMEO 

The  circus  grounds  appeared  to  be  the 
favorite  arena  for  the  settlement  of  the  neigh- 
borhood feuds  that  were  then  characteristic  of 
backwoods  communities.  Weapons  of  every 
sort,  from  fists  to  pistols,  were  employed  and 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  n 

bloodshed  was  the  rule  rather  than  the  excep- 
tion. But  the  belligerent  spirit  of  the  pioneer 
yeomen  was  sometimes  displayed  in  ludicrous 
ways.  An  instance  of  this  character  came 
near  having  a  tragic  ending.  A  party  of  young 
people  halted  before  the  elephant  drove  and 
amused  themselves  in  teasing  old  Romeo. 
The  ringleader  in  this  reckless  sport  was  a 
veritable  young  Amazon.  For  a  time  the 
patriarch  of  the  drove,  who  had  more  good 
common  sense  than  all  his  tormentors,  stood 
the  annoyance  with  dignified  forbearance. 
But  at  last  the  big  country  girl  succeeded  in 
arousing  his  ire,  and  the  huge  elephant  raised 
his  trunk  and  gave  her  as  dainty  a  slap,  by 
way  of  warning,  as  was  ever  administered  by 
a  mother  or  school  mistress  to  an  unruly  child. 
But  the  young  woman  would  not  take  this  hint 
that  would  have  sent  the  most  reckless  animal- 
keeper  of  the  show  to  a  discreet  retreat.  Her 
pride  was  wounded  before  her  companions. 
With  her  face  flaming  with  anger,  she  leaped 
over  the  guard  chain  and  made  a  vicious  lunge 
at  the  shoulder  of  the  elephant  with  the  point 
of  her  gaudy  parasol.  Fortunately  an  attache" 
of  the  show  leaped  forward  in  time  to  save 
her.  This  was  one  of  the  most  foolhardy  dis- 
plays of  animal  courage  that  I  ever  saw — and 


12          SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

it  was  thoroughly  typical  of  the  circus-going 
public  of  the  West  at  an  early  day. 

THE  STORY  OF  A  STOLEN  NEGRO 

The  sectional  feeling  between  the  North  and 
South  was  also  a  constant  menace  to  the  show- 
men when  traveling  in  the  slave  States,  for 
the  circus  men  were  universally  regarded  as 
"Yankees."  The  exciting  episodes  growing 
out  of  this  sentiment  were  numbered  by  the 
score,  but  the  one  which  gave  me  the  greatest 
fright  was  encountered  in  Missouri  in  an 
initial  chapter  of  my  experience. 

As  the  caravan  pulled  into  Booneville,  early 
one  morning,  after  a  wearing  night  of  march- 
ing, we  found  ourselves  suddenly  surrounded, 
not  by  the  usual  welcoming  party  of  children 
of  all  colors  and  sizes,  but  by  a  band  of  lank 
Missourians,  armed  to  the  teeth.  By  this  time 
I  had  developed  a  very  respectable  amount  of 
courage  for  a  lad ;  but  the  sight  of  this  posse 
made  me  decidedly  uncomfortable,  and  I'm 
afraid  my  whole  body  shook  as  badly  as  the 
voice  of  Mr.  Butler,  the  manager,  when  He 
inquired  the  cause  of  our  hostile  recep- 
tion. 

"You've  got  a  stolen  nigger  in  your  outfit, 
and  you're  our  prisoners — that's  what's  the 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  13 

matter ! ' '  was  the  rough  answer  of  the  leader 
cf  the  posse. 

The  gravity  of  our  situation  was  at  once 
grasped  by  every  man  who  heard  this  an- 
nouncement, for  the  stealing  of  a  slave  was 
then  a  far  greater  crime  in  the  eyes  of  the 
community  than  unprovoked  murder  would 
now  be.  A  desperate  and  bloody  battle  in 
which  every  follower  of  the  show  must  look 
out  for  his  own  life  as  best  he  could  seemed 
inevitable.  We  all  kept  our  eyes  on  the  man- 
ager, who  was  cool  and  of  impressive  manners. 
In  those  moments  of  breathless  waiting  for  the 
fight  to  begin,  I  wished  myself  with  the  vehe- 
mence of  despair  safely  back  in  the  quiet  little 
Hoosier  office. 

Then  Mr.  Butler  made  a  plucky  appeal  to 
all  reasonable  men  who  might  be  in  the  posse. 
Was  it  not  fair,  he  argued,  that  the  man  who 
had  brought  this  accusation  should  come  for- 
ward and  make  himself  and  his  standing  known? 
Was  he  a  planter,  the  owner  of  slaves  and  a 
substantial  citizen  of  the  great  commonwealth 
of  Missouri?  This  kind  of  ready  eloquence 
took  with  the  crowd,  and  it  was  soon  found 
that  the  man  who  had  brought  the  report  was 
unknown  to  the  people  of  Booneville.  He 
was  unable  to  give  a  satisfactory  account  of 


i4         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

himself  or  to  prove  that  he  ever  owned  a 
slave. 

Our  trouble  seemed  to  be  rapidly  clearing 
away  when  one  of  the  natives,  who  had  been 
quietly  investigating  the  caravan,  brought  the 
stirring  news  that  he  had  discovered  the  stolen 
negro.  Then'  all  was  excitement  again,  and 
the  strain  was  even  more  intense  than  before, 
for,  hidden  away  in  one  of  the  wagons  was  a 
black  man !  This  mysterious  evidence  of  guilt 
dumbfounded  every  attache"  of  the  show  save 
the  manager,  who  continued  to  maintain  his 
splendid  nerve  in  the  presence  of  a  half  a  hun- 
dred rifles.  Every  instant  I  expected  the 
shooting  to  begin. 

Once  more,  however,  Mr.  Butler  caught  the 
attention  of  the  leader  and  fired  at  the  man 
claiming  the  negro  a  question  which  made  the 
fellow  turn  pale.  On  his  answer  depended  the 
issues  of  peace  or  conflict.  To  the  surprise  of 
the  Missourians,  our  accuser  broke  down  and 
confessed  that  the  affair  was  a  scheme  laid  by 
himself  and  the  negro  to  blackmail  from  the 
circus  manager  a  large  sum  of  money.  They 
planned  that  the  negro  should  make  his  pres- 
ence known  to  some  citizen  while  the  white 
man  should  circulate  the  rumor  that  his  slave 
had  been  stolen  by  the  showman.  Then  the 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  15 

white  man  was  to  go  to  Mr.  Butler  and 
threaten  him  with  the  wrath  of  the  people 
unless  a  large  sum  was  paid  him  to  quiet  the 
matter  and  make  his  peaceable  departure  with 
the  slave.  But  the  would-be  blackmailer  had 
started  a  larger  fire  than  he  had  counted  on 
and  had  become  frightened  at  his  own  work. 
The  moment  his  confession  was  made  the  mob 
turned  upon  him  as  fiercely  as  it  had  first 
started  for  us.  Then  our  manager  once  more 
stepped  forward  and  urged  the  cooler  members 
of  the  posse  to  hasten  the  white  man  and  negro 
inside  the  protecting  walls  of  the  jail.  This 
they  did  in  a  hurry — and  just  in  the  nick  of 
time,  too;  for  the  delay  of  a  moment  would 
have  resulted  in  a  lynching.  This  episode  won 
us  the  admiration  and  respect  of  the  rough 
men  who  had  met  us  with  loaded  rifles,  and  we 
were  feasted  on  yellow-leg  chickens,  hickory- 
cured  ham,  wild  honey  and  all  the  delicacies 
that  the  southern  planters  "set  out"  for  their 
guests. 

HORSE  THIEVES  IN  THE  CIRCUS 

It  was  on  this  trip  into  Missouri  that  we  met 
with  a  very  serious  loss  which  almost  crippled 
us  for  a  time.  The  baggage  train  had  passed 
en  route  to  the  city  where  we  were  to  exhibit, 


i6         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

leaving  the  performers,  the  band  and  ring 
horses,  as  is  the  custom,  to  follow  in  the  rear. 
We  had  about  twenty  horses  and  ponies  of 
great  value,  and  of  invaluable  use  in  the  show. 
One  morning,  just  at  daylight,  the  men  who 
had  charge  of  these  horses  were  attacked  by  a 
gang  of  horse  thieves,  and  the  entire  lot  was 
taken  from  them.  Our  men  were  left  wounded 
and  bound  with  cords,  lying  by  the  wayside. 
Meanwhile,  the  tents  and  other  paraphernalia 
were  already  in  the  village,  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  the  horses.  The  time  for  the  show 
to  begin  came,  but  still  no  horses  appeared, 
and  the  crowds,  assembled  to  see  the  perform- 
ing animals,  were  growing  impatient. 

While  we  were  in  this  embarrassing  predica- 
ment, a  citizen  came  riding  up  in  hot  haste, 
stating  that  he  had  seen  and  released  some 
men  who  had  said  their  horses  had  been  stolen 
and  who  begged  him  to  come  into  town  and 
report  the  loss  to  the  managers.  When  this 
news  was  received,  it  was  immediately  com- 
municated to  the  expectant,  impatient  audi- 
ence; but  being  naturally  suspicious  of  all 
mankind,  and  especially  of  circus  men,  they 
thought  it  was  a  "sell"  and  a  "Yankee  trick" ; 
but  when  once  they  were  made  to  believe  the 
true  facts  of  the  case  they  rose  as  one  man  and 


OLD-TIME  WAGON  SHOW  17 

mounted  their  horses  to  overtake  the  marauders 
and  punish  them.  But  the  thieves,  having  had 
several  hours  start,  escaped,  and  after  several 
days'  search  the  chase  was  finally  abandoned, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  proceed  on  our  way- 
without  our  horses.  Horse  thieves  in  those 
days  were  very  common,  and  were  a  continual 
annoyance  to  the  planters  and  farmers,  and 
had  our  thieves  been  captured,  they  would 
have  been  summarily  dealt  with. 

Naturally,  we  were  very  much  crippled  with 
our  loss ;  but  soon  the  fertile  brain  of  some  of 
our  performers  secured  us  a  means  of  recover- 
ing from  this  calamity,  and  we  were  provided 
with  other  horses  which  we  used  as  substitutes 
for  the  beautiful  and  (for  those  days)  highly- 
trained  animals  which  had  been  stolen. 


II 


THE  PERILOUS  BUSINESS  OF  STOCK- 
ING A  MENAGERIE 

There  are  at  least  two  features  of  the  show 
business  which  are  seldom  exaggerated,  no 
matter  how  capable  the  showman  may  be  at 
blowing  his  own  horn  or  how  brilliant  may  be 
the  accomplishments  of  his  advertising  man  as 
a  professional  prevaricator.  These  features 
are  the  great  cost  of  stocking  a  menagerie  and 
the  danger  attending  the  capture  and  handling 
of  the  savage  creatures.  Few  people  not  in 
the  business  have  any  idea  what  it  costs  to  get 
together  and  maintain  a  large  collection  of 
animals. 

Perhaps  the  only  reason  why  these  phases  of 
the  business  have  not  been  magnified  by  the 
eloquent  pens  and  tongues  of  the  advance  men 
is  because  they  are  well-nigh  incapable  of 
exaggeration.  The  plain  truth  concerning 
them  is  as  astonishing  and  sensational  as  would 

18 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE  19 

be  any  addition  thereto,  and  consequently  the 
advertising  men  have  been  tempted  to  regard 
this  as  a  field  which  does  not  invite  a  display 
of  their  special  talents. 

I  know  of  one  showman  who  paid  $10,000 
for  a  hippopotamus.  This  figure  would  have 
been  as  effective  for  advertising  purposes  as 
twice  that  amount — and  yet  I  do  not  recall  that 
this  price  was  made  much  of  in  the  advertising 
put  out  by  the  proprietor.  At  the  time  I  went 
into  the  great  New  York  Aquarium  enterprise 
I  remember  having  one  day  figured  up  the 
amount  which  I  had  paid  Reiche  Brothers, 
then  the  leading  animal  dealers  of  the  world. 
It  reached  the  neat  sum  of  half  a  million  dol- 
lars. •  This,  however,  was  but  a  fraction  of  the 
fortune  I  had  been  called  upon  to  invest  in 
wild  animals.  Besides  buying  from  other  deal- 
ers, I  had  been  interested  in  several  inde- 
pendent animal  hunting  expeditions  to  Africa. 
This  was  a  tremendously  expensive  experience, 
and  led  me  to  a  willingness  to  pay  the  very 
large  profits  demanded  by  the  established  ani- 
mal houses  rather  than  attempt  to  go  into  the 
forests  and  jungles  with  my  own  expeditions. 
These  houses  were  able  to  employ  educated 
Germans  who  delighted  in  the  adventure,  and 
they  saved  us  time,  anxiety  and  money. 


20         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

BEASTS    AT    WHOLESALE 

In  this  particular  branch  of  trade  Germans 
take  the  lead.  Charles  Reiche,  the  New  York 
partner,  came  to  this  country  a  very  poor  boy, 
and  began  peddling  canaries,  bullfinches,  and 
other  songbirds.  He  made  his  start  in  1851 
when  he  went  to  California  by  way  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  employed  natives  to 
carry  the  living  freight  on  their  backs.  He 
marched  with  his  men  and  carried  a  heavier 
burden  than  any  servant  in  the  caravan.  His 
only  great  competitors  were  the  Hagenbacks, 
of  Hamburg.  Since  the  death  of  the  Reiche 
Brothers,  the  Hagenbacks  have  almost  monop- 
olized the  trade,  supplying  the  menageries  and 
zoological  gardens  of  the  world.  The  Reiche 
Brothers  left  an  enormous  fortune  made  from 
this  humble  beginning. 

There  is  something  thrilling  in  the  thought 
of  the  lives  that  have  been  lost,  the  sufferings 
and  hardships  endured,  the  perils  encountered, 
and  the  vast  sums  of  money  expended  in  the 
capture  and  transportation  of  wild  animals  for 
the  menageries,  museums  and  zoological  gar- 
dens. Indeed,  the  business  has  been  so  ex- 
clusively in  the  hands  of  two  very  quiet  gentle- 
men, whose  agencies  cover  nearly  half  the 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE          21 

globe,  that  beyond  the  managers  of  gardens 
and  shows,  only  a  very  limited  number  of  per- 
sons have  any  conception  of  the  extent  of  their 
operations. 

THE    PROFESSIONAL    ANIMAL    HUNTER 

The  head  of  the  Reiche  firm,  and  its  direct- 
ing spirit,  was  Mr.  Charles  Reiche,  who  was 
well  educated  and  had  traveled  widely.  His 
New  York  establishment  was  each  day  passed 
unnoticed  by  thousands  of  pedestrians,  yet 
from  it  wild  animals  were  supplied  to  almost 
every  traveling  show  in  the  United  States. 
The  great  supply  depot  for  this  country  was  in 
Hoboken.  Henry  Reiche,  his  brother,  lived  in 
Germany,  where  they  had  a  large  supply  farm 
for  all  the  world,  with  accommodations  and 
appliances  for  keeping  almost  every  bird,  beast 
and  reptile  produced  by  any  country  or  clime 
of  the  world.  They  were  ready  at  any  time  to 
fill  an  order  for  anything,  from  a  single  canary 
to  a  flock  of  ostriches,  or  from  a  field-mouse  to 
an  elephant. 

Africa,  the  home  of  the  most  fiercely  vora- 
cious animals,  was  their  most  extensive  field  for 
operations.  In  it  they  had  many  stations,  with 
sheiks  or  chiefs  in  their  employ,  and  standing 
rewards  offered  to  natives  for  choice  specimens 


22         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

of  rare  birds  or  beasts.  During  nine  months 
of  every  year  they  had  a  band  of  experienced 
white  African  hunters  traveling  from  station 
to  station,  overseeing  and  directing  the  work 
of  the  natives,  and  capturing  elephants,  lions, 
leopards,  tigers  and  such  other  beasts  as  they 
might  be  instructed  to  obtain.  The  company, 
usually  composed  of  four  or  six,  and  never 
more  than  eight,  was  under  the  command  of 
Charles  Lohse,  a  veteran  hunter  and  trapper, 
and  started  from  Germany  about  the  first  of 
September  and  generally  returned  from  Africa 
early  in  June.  During  the  remaining  three 
months  of  the  year,  the  rainy  season,  the 
climate  is  so  unhealthful  that  it  is  almost  cer- 
tain death  for  a  white  man  to  remain  in  Africa. 

STRIKING    INTO    THE    INTERIOR 

Starting  from  Germany,  the  hunters  used  to 
take  a  complete  outfit  of  clothing  and  firearms, 
gifts  for  the  chiefs,  and  from  seven  to  twelve 
thousand  dollars  in  drafts  and  letters  of  credit. 
They  would  go  to  Trieste,  thence  to  Corfu,  in 
Greece,  thence  to  Alexandria,  and  by  rail  to 
Suez.  There  they  would  exchange  their 
money  for  Austrian  silver  dollars,  the  only 
coin  known  to  the  Arabs  and  sheiks  of  Africa. 
A  Bank  of  England  note  was  valueless  to 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE          23 

them,  and  the  brightest  specimen  of  an  Amer- 
ican gold  eagle  would  not  buy  the  meanest  ring- 
tailed  monkey.  They  next  took  the  Turkish 
steamer  to  Judda  and  thence  to  Sarachin,  the 
last  station  before  they  commenced  their  long, 
tiresome  and  dangerous  march  across  the 
Nubian  Desert.  For  this  undertaking  they 
bought  camels,  water  and  provisions,  and 
hired  such  of  the  sheiks  and  other  natives  as 
they  needed,  the  latter  being  cheap  enough, 
generally  costing  five  dollars,  and  occasionally 
seven  dollars,  each  for  the  trip  across  the 
desert.  When  the  caravan  arrived  at  its 
destination  the  poor  fellows  were  left  to  get 
back  as  best  they  could.  In  this  manner 
they  traveled  to  Honiahn,  the  principal  station 
of  the  company  in  Africa,  where  the  distinc- 
tions of  caste  are  strictly  maintained. 

HUNTERS'  LIFE  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

Every  white  man  had  a  "mansion,"  which 
consisted  of  a  straw  house  about  twenty  feet 
wide  by  thirty  feet  deep,  and  was  divided  into 
two  rooms.  In  such  houses  they  lived  and 
slept,  and  in  one  of  them  they  kept  the  money 
which  had  been  brought  across  the  desert  in 
trunks  on  the  backs  of  camels. 

No  attempt  was  made  to  hide  it,  nor  was 


24         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

there  any  secrecy  as  to  where  it  was  packed 
during  the  long  journey.  So  honest  were  the 
native  blacks  that  not  a  dollar  was  lost  by  care- 
lessness or  theft.  Frequently  there  would  be 
ten  thousand  of  these  silver  dollars  in  the  hut, 
with  only  one  or  two  white  men  in  camp,  sur- 
rounded by  negroes,  Arabs  and  half-breeds; 
yet  no  attempt  at  robbery  was  ever  made. 
The  half-civilized  natives,  knowing  they  were 
not  entitled  to  a  dollar  until  they  had  earned 
it,  never  tried  to  get  it  in  any  other  way.  The 
natives  slept  where  and  as  they  pleased,  and 
three  times  a  day  were  given  a  fair  supply  of 
Indian  corn,  which  they  would  grind  and,  after 
adding  a  little  water,  would  cook  over  their 
own  fires,  making  a  sort  of  biscuit.  The  white 
men  had  negro  cooks  and  lived  luxuriously. 
They  had  eggs,  coffee  and  Indian  corn  biscuit 
for  breakfast,  with  a  broiled  chicken  for  a 
relish  whenever  desired.  For  dinner,  maize 
and  beef  or  mutton  made  up  the  usual  bill  of 
fare.  A  well-conditioned  ox  cost  only  four 
dollars,  and  a  "good  eating-goat"  was  to  be 
had  for  fifty  cents.  No  meal  was  complete 
without  plenty  of  onions.  After  supper,  the 
German  hunter's  inseparable  evening  friend, 
his  long-stemmed  china  pipe,  invariably  ap- 
peared. 


CAPTURING  WILD  ANIMALS  FOR  THE  SHOW. 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE          25 

The  interior  of  the  huts  would  have  charmed 
an  artist.  Elephant  tusks,  lion  and  leopard 
skins,  hunting-hats  and  coats,  tall  wading- 
boots,  rifles  and  pistols,  bright-colored  flannel 
shirts  and  bits  of  harness  were  scattered  about 
in  picturesque  confusion.  In  a  safe  place, 
where  it  could  not  possibly  be  scratched  or 
disfigured,  was  the  choicest  treasure  within  the 
four  strong  walls,  a  large  German  accordion. 
In  the  long  evenings,  after  the  perils  and 
labors  of  the  hunt,  Lohse  played  this  instru- 
ment by  the  hour  to  his  hunters  as  they  puffed 
great  clouds  of  smoke  and  dreamed  of  the 
Fatherland. 

The  camp  was  pitched  in  a  clearing  on  the 
bank  of  a  little  river  and  was  closed  by  a  high 
and  thick  hedge  of  a  native  thorn.  At  night, 
after  the  pack  animals  had  been  fed,  watered 
and  housed  or  tethered,  great  fires  were  built 
at  irregular  intervals  about  the  grounds  to 
scare  off  wild  beasts,  and  the  watch  was  set. 
Then  began  the  dismal  howl  of  the  hyena,  the 
roar  of  the  lion,  and  the  shriek  of  the  wildcat. 
About  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  camp 
was  again  astir  and  the  business  of  the  day  was 
begun.  The  native  hunters  formed  in  com- 
panies of  about  twenty,  with  a  white  leader 
and  started  off  in  different  directions.  Those 


26         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

left  in  camp  put  in  the  time  cleaning  it,  caring 
for  the  beasts,  and  making  boxes  for  transpor- 
tation of  the  animals,  and  cages  for  the  recep- 
tion of  freshly  captured  beasts. 

In  capturing  wild  animals  the  rule  is  to  kill 
the  old  ones  and  secure  the  young ;  for  after 
any  of  the  beasts  have  grown  old  enough  to 
become  accustomed  to  the  free  life  of  the  for- 
ests, and  to  hunt  their  own  food,  they  are 
treacherous  and  worth  little  for  purposes  of 
exhibition. 

WHY  BABY  ELEPHANTS  ARE  HARD  TO  CAPTURE 

Paul  Tuhe,  one  of  the  ablest  master-hunters 
in  the  service  of  the  Reiche  Brothers,  who  has 
brought  from  Africa  hundreds  of  rare  birds  and 
animals,  gives  me  this  account  of  the  methods 
and  perils  of  the  hunt : 

"Though  the  lion  is  a  fierce  creature,  the 
lioness,  when  protecting  her  young,  is  very 
much  more  ferocious.  From  long  practice, 
however,  we  know  how  to  go  after  them.  A 
good  rifle,  firm  hands  and  steady  eyes  and  we 
can  soon  topple  the  old  king  over.  The  old 
lady,  however,  may  make  a  better  fight,  but  in 
the  end  we  are  sure  to  kill  her.  Then  it  is  no 
trouble  to  pick  up  the  cubs.  We  try  to  get 
these  little  fellows  when  they  are  about  three 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE          27 

or  four  weeks  old.  They  are  then  like  young 
puppies,  easily  managed,  and  soon  know  their 
keepers.  Leopards,  tigers  and  all  animals  of 
that  kind  we  get  in  the  same  way  and  at  about 
the  same  age. 

"Baby  elephants  are  hard  to  capture,  and  the 
hunt  is  very  dangerous.  The  old  ones  seem  to 
know  instinctively  when  we  are  after  their 
young,  and  their  rage  is  something  terrible. 
The  trumpeting  of  the  parents  can  be  heard  a 
long  distance,  and  quickly  alarms  the  whole 
herd.  The  rifle  is  .comparatively  useless,  and 
trying  to  approach  them  is  particularly  hazar- 
dous; yet  it  has  to  be  done. 

"First,  we  try  to  distract  the  attention  of  the 
female  from  her  young.  Then  a  native  creeps 
cautiously  in  from  behind  and  with  one  cut  of 
a  heavy  broad-bladed  knife  severs  the  tendons 
of  her  hind  legs.  She  is  then  disabled  and 
falls  to  the  ground.  We  promptly  kill  her, 
secure  the  ivory  and  capture  the  little  one.  Of 
course  we  sometimes  have  a  native  or  two 
killed  in  this  kind  of  a  hunt;  but  they  don't 
cost  much — only  five  to  six  dollars  apiece. 
The  sheiks  are  paid  in  advance,  and  do  not  care 
whether  the  poor  huntsmen  get  out  of  the  chase 
alive  or  not.  We  like  to  capture  the  baby 
elephants  when  they  are  about  one  year  old. 


28         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

Younger  ones  are  too  tender  and  older  ones 
know  too  much.  They  soon  get  acquainted 
with  all  the  camp  and  we  have  lots  of  fun  with 
them.  They  are  kindly,  docile,  and  as  full  of 
pranks  as  the  little  black  babies  who  play  with 
them. 

"Of  all  fierce,  ungovernable,  lusty  brutes, 
the  hippopotamus  with  young  is  the  very 
worst ;  and  whenever  we  start  off  to  get  a  baby 
'hip'  we  calculate  to  come  back  with  one  or 
more  men  missing.  In  water  they  will  fight 
like  devils,  and  will  crush  the  strongest  boat  to 
pieces  in  five  minutes.  They  are  quick  as  a 
flash,  too,  notwithstanding  their  clumsy  appear- 
ance, and  the  oarsmen  have  to  be  wide-awake 
to  keep  out  of  their  way.  On  shore  they  are 
just  as  ferocious,  and  the  way  they  hurry  their 
stumpy  little  legs  over  the  ground  would 
astonish  you.  They  diehard,  and  take  'a  heap 
of  killing.'  When  such  a  job  is  over  you  may 
be  sure  there  is  great  rejoicing  among  us ;  but 
as  one  little  hippopotamus  is  worth  as  much  as 
half  a  dozen  little  lions,  tigers  and  such  truck, 
we  are  well  content  to  take  the  risk.  We  can- 
not get  these  babies  too  young  to  suit.  One,  I 
remember,  was  captured  the  very  day  it  was 
born,  and  the  hunters  and  attendants  brought 
it  up  on  a  bottle. 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE          29 

"Ostriches  we  run  down  on  horseback,  and 
then  catch  with  a  lasso.  It  is  an  exciting 
chase,  but  not  particularly  dangerous.  On 
these  hunts  we  are  entitled  only  to  the  young 
ones  we  capture.  The  beautiful  skins  of  the 
leopards,  lions,  and  other  animals  we  kill,  the 
tusks  of  the  elephant,  the  feathers  of  the 
ostrich,  and  all  other  similar  spoils,  go  to  the 
native  chiefs  and  sheiks,  and  these  old  rascals 
are  as  sharp  at  a  trade  as  the  shrewdest  'old 
clo'  merchant  in  Chatham  Street. 

"In  the  encampments  the  natives  assist  in 
taking  care  of  the  animals  and  do  general 
work,  but  the  menial  duties  are  performed  by 
Nubian  slaves,  who  are  very  cheap  and  can  be 
bought  in  numbers  to  suit.  Among  the  natives 
the  women  are  looked  upon  as  inferior. 
Women  never  eat  with  their  husbands.  The 
husband  is  allowed  four  wives,  and  as  many 
slaves  as  he  can  corral. ' ' 

ACROSS  THE  DESERT  WITH  CAPTIVE  BEASTS 

A  sufficient  number  and  variety  of  animals 
having  been  secured,  a  caravan  is  formed  to 
take  them  across  the  desert  for  shipment  to 
Germany  or  America.  This  usually  consists  of 
about  -one  hundred  camels,  each  having  its 
native  driver;  thirty  or  forty  horses  for  the 


30         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

white  men,  and  the  Arab  hunters  and  their 
attendants;  a  flock  of  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  goats,  for  their  milk  and 
also  for  food ;  and  black  slaves  to  look  out  for 
the  goats.  The  wild  animals  are  secured  in 
strong  boxes  and  carried  on  the  camels'  backs. 
They  are  all  young,  and  fed  with  goats'  milk 
principally,  although  occasionally,  to  keep 
them  in  good  spirits,  they  are  given  raw 
goats'  meat.  Horses  are  very  cheap  there, 
ranging  in  price  from  fifteen  to  twenty  dollars 
each.  Natives  are  even  cheaper,  seven  dollars 
each  being  thought  an  extravagant  price  for 
the  trip. 

The  journey  ordinarily  occupies  from  thirty 
to  forty  days,  and  all  traveling  is  done  be- 
tween three  and  eleven  in  the  morning  and 
five  and  eleven  in  the  evening.  During  mid- 
day the  sun's  rays  are  so  fiercely  hot  as  to  make 
labor  or  travel  hazardous,  and  none  is  at- 
tempted. The  route  home  is  much  the  same 
as  that  taken  out,  and  in  due  time  the  beasts 
are  landed,  usually  with  very  little  loss,  in 
Germany.  There  they  remain  until  needed  to 
fill  orders  of  showmen  in  either  Europe  or 
America,  while  their  hardy  captors  take  three 
months  of  rest  and  recreation  before  starting  on 
another  trip. 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE          31 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  SPECIMEN  HUNTERS 

Several  men  of  scientific  attainments  are 
always  to  be  depended  on  for  novelties  in  the 
way  of  monsters  from  the  deep.  Some  of  these 
"professors,"  as  they  are  generally  termed  by 
showmen,  are  given  salaries  to  go  out  on 
special  expeditions,  while  others  make  an  ex- 
cellent living  by  pursuing  this  peculiar  craft 
independently.  Often  these  men  have  ad- 
ventures quite  as  exciting  as  those  which 
befall  the  hunters  in  the  wilds  of  the  jungles. 

While  on  an  expedition  to  the  Bermuda  coast 
one  of  our  professors  had  a  decidedly  interest- 
ing experience  with  a  small  octopus.  He  had 
been  towing  about  in  his  little  boat  in  search 
of  the  beautiful  colored  fish  with  which  this 
coast  abounds,  when  there  was  a  sudden  lurch 
of  the  boat  followed  by  a  constant  thumping 
against  its  bottom.  Thinking  the  skiff  had 
met  with  an  obstruction  of  the  ordinary  kind, 
the  professor  thrust  his  arm  into  the  water,  at 
the  stern  of  the  boat,  where  he  felt  a  moving 
mass  which  was  indistinctly  seen,  and  caught 
hold  of  the  slimy  thing.  He  then  found  that 
his  arm  was  being  encircled  by  what  he  be- 
lieved to  be  a  sea  serpent.  Then  he  felt  a  sen- 
sation that,  according  to  his  description,  was 


32         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

like  a  hundred  sucking  leeches.  This  strange 
and  powerful  animal  was  trying  to  pull  him 
overboard.  With  a  desperate  effort  he  separ- 
ated the  tentacled  part  that  encircled  his  arm 
from  the  body  of  the  devil-fish,  and  the  creature 
fell  back  into  the  water.  On  the  professor's 
arm  were  several  sores  where  the  suckers  had 
been  applied,  and  he  was  as  thoroughly  fright- 
ened as  a  man  could  be  and  live. 

One  of  the  most  pathetic  subjects  which  can 
be  proposed  to  a  proprietary  showman  of  wide 
experience  is  that  of  "wild  goose"  expeditions. 
Experiences  of  this  kind  are  so  costly  that  they 
are  not  easily  forgotten.  I  spent  thousands  of 
dollars  on  an  expedition  sent  to  the  coast  of 
Alaska  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  a  live 
walrus.  The  man  in  charge  of  this  undertak- 
ing had  been  with  my  menagerie  for  several 
years,  and  I  knew  him  to  be  courageous, 
capable  and  determined.  He  had  plenty  of 
assistance,  the  best  equipment  in  the  way  of 
boats,  wire  nets  and  other  paraphernalia  that 
could  be  devised,  and  still  he  returned  empty- 
handed  from  a  shore  that  abounded  with  those 
ugly  monsters.  The  failure  of  the  expedition 
and  the  loss  of  the  heavy  investment  which  it 
represented  all  hinged  on  the  fact  that,  unlike 
the  seals  we  had  taken  by  nets,  the  walrus 


STOCKING  A  MENAGERIE          33 

could  not  be  found  on  the  shore.  What  was 
still  more  tantalizing  was  that  they  would  per- 
mit their  pursuers  to  approach  within  a  hun- 
dred feet  of  the  ice  blocks  on  which  they 
discreetly  held  forth. 

After  he  had  abandoned  all  hope  of  captur- 
ing them  alive,  he  determined  to  have  some 
sport  shooting  them.  As  before  stated,  the 
walruses  would  remain  on  the  ice  until  the 
party  came  within  one  hundred  feet  of  them, 
resting  all  the  time  in  perfect  silence  and  rais- 
ing their  enormous  heads  as  if  curious  to  see 
what  manner  of  men  had  the  temerity  to  invade 
their  dominion.  In  that  position  they  were,  of 
course,  perfect  targets  for  the  bullets.  When 
wounded  they  would  collect  in  a  group,  and 
then,  as  if  by  a  preconceived  signal,  they  would 
rush  for  the  boats,  and  their  retaliation  would 
be  furious  and  the  attacking  party  was  usually 
wholly  unprepared  for  the  onslaught.  As  a 
walrus  frequently  weighs  nearly  a  ton,  and 
sometimes  more,  the  hunters  were  in  imminent 
danger  of  being  tipped  over  into  the  cold 
waves — a  catastrophe  which  would  be  almost 
certain  to  result  fatally ;  and  as  the  movement 
of  the  walrus  is  very  swift,  the  only  alternative 
left  the  party  was  to  empty  their  guns  on  the 
foremost  of  the  creatures.  This  would  break 


34         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  force  of  the  onslaught,  the  killed  .and 
wounded  forming  a  barrier  to  those  coming  on 
behind.  On  one  of  these  excursions  the  hunt- 
ers killed  a  baby  walrus,  and  while  using  the 
oars  to  reach  the  ice  floe  whereon  the  baby  lay 
dead,  they  were  astonished  to  see  a  grown 
walrus  jump  to  the  little  one's  side  and,  taking 
it  in  its  mouth,  disappear  with  it  into  the  icy 
water. 

If  the  countryman  who  finds  undisguised 
delight  in  "seeing  the  animals"  of  the  big 
show  could  only  realize  the  money,  the  perils 
and  hardships  and  the  disappointments  which  a 
good  collection  of  animals  represents  he  would 
marvel  the  more  at  the  spectacle. 


Ill 


FREAKS   AND   FAKES 

No  saying  attributed  to  P.  T.  Barnum  has 
been  more  widely  quoted  than  the  remark  that 
' '  the  public  likes  to  be  humbugged. ' '  Certainly 
this  comment  on  the  credulity  of  the  masses 
opens  up  a  most  curious  and  entertaining  field, 
and  its  mention  in  a  company  of  old  showmen 
is  sure  to  provoke  a  flood  of  reminiscences  on 
the  subject  of  fakes,  freaks  and  fakers.  There 
is  scarcely  another  line  of  experience  concern- 
ing which  veteran  showmen  more  enjoy  com- 
paring notes — possibly  because  it  touches  on 
the  secrets  of  the  craft.  Though  it  is  true  that 
Mr.  Barnum  was  a  master  in  the  science  of 
humbugging  the  public,  and  did  not  disclaim 
that  distinction,  it  must  be  said  in  justice  to 
him  that  in  the  course  of  his  long  professional 
career  he  gave  the  people  more  for  their  money 
than  any  other  showman,  living  or  dead. 

A  little  inside  information  on  this  hidden 
side  of  the  showman's  business  may  be  enter- 
taining to  a  public  which  has  often  experienced 

35 


36         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  pleasure  of  being  humbugged.  Certainly 
no  fake  is  entitled  to  take  precedence  over  the 
celebrated  "Cardiff  Giant."  This  was  the  in- 
vention of  a  certain  George  Hull.  He  lived, 
I  think,  at  Binghamton,  New  York,  and  manu- 
factured the  giant  in  a  rude  shop  on  the  small 
farm  which  he  worked.  Hull  was  shrewd, 
energetic  and  very  persistent,  as  may  be  seen 
by  the  fact  that  the  elaboration  of  the  idea  of 
his  fake  and  its  execution  occupied  him  more 
than  four  years.  He  thought  the  whole  matter 
out,  even  to  the  most  minute  details,  before 
beginning  work  on  it.  Without  any  knowl- 
edge of  the  art  of  sculpture  or  the  science  of 
anatomy,  he  set  himself  resolutely  at  work  to 
remedy  these  defects  of  education.  He  had 
considerable  aptitude  with  the  chisel,  and 
gradually  developed  the  skill  necessary  to  hew 
out  a  figure  that  was  to  be  put  before  the  pub- 
lic as  a  relic  of  an  age  so  remote  that  no  per- 
son would  be  likely  closely  to  criticise  its 
proportions.  Hull  also  knew  that,  no  mat- 
ter what  the  age  in  which  his  giant  was 
supposed  to  have  lived,  the  "remains"  must 
show  pores  in  the  skin  to  pass  the  scrutiny  of 
even  the  unlearned.  The  making  of  these 
pores  required  more  time  and  labor  than  all 
the  other  work  of  making  the  "Cardiff  Giant. " 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  37 

The  work  occupied  many  months,  and  was  all 
performed  in  the  "studio"  or  shop  where  it 
was  at  last  finished  to  Hull's  satisfaction. 

THE  BURIAL  AND  RESURRECTION  OF  THE  "CARDIFF 
GIANT" 

Preparations  were  then  made  for  the  giant's 
burial  in  order  that  when  brought  to  public 
view  it  might  show  the  proper  evidence  of 
antiquity.  It  was  buried  in  the  side  of  a  hill 
only  a  few  rods  from  the  outbuilding,  where  it 
had  been  chiseled  from  a  huge  block  of  stone 
taken  from  that  very  hill.  In  all  this  work, 
huge  and  heavy  as  the  uncut  stone  and  the 
giant  hewn  out  of  it  were,  Hull  had  only  the 
assistance  of  one  man,  a  sled  and  a  yoke  of 
oxen  in  moving  them.  This  helper  was  a 
green  and  stolid  German  immigrant,  utterly 
devoid  of  curiosity,  and  the  man  who  helped  to 
bury  the  giant  was  another  of  the  same  descrip- 
tion. 

The  statue  was  allowed  to  remain  more  than 
two  years  in  the  ground  before  its  maker  con- 
sidered it  to  be  in  proper  condition  for  "acci- 
dental" discovery.  Hull  then  promptly 
"discovered"  and  dug  out  the  "petrification," 
and  placed  it  on  public  view  to  amaze  and  per- 
plex people  generally  and  to  delight  the 


38         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

antiquarians,  who  found  it  an  argument  to 
uphold  some  of  their  most  cherished  theories. 
It  took  its  name  from  the  fact  that  near  the 
spot  where  it  was  buried  and  resurrected  was  a 
small  hamlet  called  Cardiff.  The  public  career 
of  the  "Cardiff  Giant"  was  not  of  long  con- 
tinuance, however,  but  was  sufficiently  lengthy 
to  enable  Mr.  Hull  to  make  considerable  money 
out  of  his  clever  conception.  He  declared, 
however,  that  he  might  have  made  much  more 
money  if  he  had  accepted  Mr.  Barnum's  offer 
made  at  the  time  of  the  giant's  first  appear- 
ance in  public.  Mr.  Hull  knew,  too,  that 
exposure  was  bound  to  come  in  the  end,  but 
that  mattered  not  to  him.  For  many  years 
thereafter  the  "Cardiff  Giant"  reposed  neg- 
lected in  the  very  shop  in  which  it  was  made ; 
but  its  owner  and  inventor  averred  that  he  was 
entirely  content  with  the  financial  result  of  his 
ingenuity. 

"BRIDGEPORT,  Oct.  8,  1870. 
"My  Dear  Coup:  Yours  received.  I  will 
join  you  in  a  show  for  next  spring  and  will 
probably  have  Admiral  Dot  well  trained  this 
winter  and  have  him  and  Harrison  in  the  show. 
Wood  will  sell  all  his  animals  right,  and  will 
furnish  several  tip-top  museum  curiosities. 
You  need  to  spend  several  months  in  New 
York  arranging  for  curiosities,  cuts,  cages, 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  39 

bills,  etc.  All  things  got  from  Wood  I  will 
settle  for  with  him  and  give  the  concern  credit. 
We  can  make  a  stunning  museum  department. 
If  you  want  to  call  it  my  museum  and  use  my 
name  it  may  be  used  by  allowing  me  the  same 
very  small  percentage  that  Wood  allows  for 
calling  himself  my  successor  (3  per  cent  on 
receipts).  You  can  have  a  Cardiff  Giant  that 
won't  crack,  also  a  moving  figure,  Sleeping 
Beauty  or  Dying  Zouave — a  big  Gymnastic  fig- 
ure like  that  in  Wood's  museum,  and  lots  of 
other  good  things,  only  you  need  time  to  look 
them  up  and  prepare  wagons,  etc. ,  etc. 
"Yours  truly, 

"P.  T.  BARNUM." 

"I  will  spare  time  to  cook  up  the  show  in 
New  York  when  you  come.  I  think  Siamese 
Twins  would  pay." 

The  year  1884  is  a  memorable  one  in  the 
annals  of  circus  history,  and  circus  men  re- 
member it  as  the  "White  Elephant  Year." 
For  many  years  persistent  attempts  had  been 
made  by  enterprising  showmen  to  secure  for 
exhibition  purposes  a  sacred  white  elephant. 
Schemes  by  the  score  had  been  discussed  in  the 
confidential  councils  of  the  showmen  in  winter 
quarters,  with  a  view  to  faking  a  black  ele- 
phant into  a  white  one,  but  without  satisfactory 
results.  In  the  winter  of  1883,  however,  it  was 
given  out  by  Mr.  Barnum's  manager  that  he 


40          SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

had  positively  succeeded  in  purchasing  from 
the  King  of  Siam  a  sacred  white  elephant. 
The  press  was  splendidly  "worked"  in  ad- 
vance, and  the  sacred  white  elephant  monop- 
olized the  gossip  of  circus  circles. 

THE    RIVAL    WHITE    ELEPHANTS 

A  great  rivalry  had  for  some  years  existed 
between  Mr.  Barnum  and  a  Philadelphia  circus 
man,  and  the  public  was  greatly  surprised, 
just  before  the  opening  of  the  season,  to  find 
that,  according  to  newspaper  report,  the  latter 
also  had  quietly  and  unostentatiously  imported 
a  sacred  white  elephant  known  as  the  ' '  Light 
of  Asia,"  which,  from  the  descriptions  of  the 
few  favored  scribes  who  had  seen  it,  was  a 
marvel  of  beauty  and  color.  Rumors  also 
were  circulated  that  Barnum's  white  elephant 
was  not  genuine,  but  only  a  diseased  or  leprous 
elephant  with  a  "blaze"  of  cream  color  down 
its  trunk,  and  discolored  or  spotted  legs,  while 
the  Philadelphia  showman's  animal  was  of 
snowy  whiteness,  without  spot  or  blemish. 
Public  sentiment  ran  high,  especially  in  Phila- 
delphia, where  the  shows  were  to  exhibit 
simultaneously.  While  public  opinion  was 
divided  as  to  the  genuineness  of  these  "sacred" 
animals,  it  may  be  well  to  say  that  the  Barnum 


WHEN  A  "WHITE  ELEPHANT"  WAS  NEEDED. 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  41 

animal  was  as  good  a  specimen  of  the  genuine 
white  elephant  as  could  be  procured,  while  the 
Philadelphia  elephant,  pretty  as  a  picture  and 
superbly  snow  white  in  color,  was  supposed  to 
be  a  lively  "fake." 

While  on  exhibition,  this  "Light  of  Asia" 
was  almost  entirely  covered  with  a  black  vel- 
vet-spangled cloth,  and  the  trunk  had  been 
manipulated  in  such  a  way  that  visitors  could 
touch  it,  and  as  no  coloring  matter  came 
off  on  their  hands  I  presume  that  part  of 
the  body  had  in  some  way  been  "sized"  or 
enameled. 

HOW  THE   "LIGHT  OF   ASIA"   EMBARRASSED   THE 
LECTURER 

During  the  performance  the  white  elephant 
would  be  introduced  and  stripped  of  its  velvet 
trappings  on  the  elevated  stage  between  the 
two  rings,  while  a  learned  "professor"  des- 
canted eloquently  on  opposition  in  general  and 
the  genuineness  of  this  white  elephant  in  par- 
ticular. So*  well  was  this  part  of  the  program 
carried  out  that  popular  opinion  was  at  least 
equally  divided  regarding  the  genuineness  of 
the  competing  white  elephants.  Long  after- 
ward the  "lecturer"  told  me  that  this  white 
elephant,  having  learned  to  recognize  and  like 


43  SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

him,  would  endeavor  to  salute  him  by  rubbing 
up  against  him  after  the  manner  of  elephants. 
Had  the  animal  succeded,  the  effect  would 
have  been  to  leave  white  marks  on  the  black 
coat  of  the  lecturer,  who  had  all  he  could  do  to 
continue  his  lecture  and  at  the  same  time 
dodge  the  friendly  advance  of  the  white  ele- 
phant. About  the  middle  of  the  season,  after 
getting  all  the  benefit  they  could  out  of  the 
white  elephant  war,  Barnum  and  his  rival  came 
to  an  amicable  understanding,  and  divided  ter- 
ritory with  each  other,  and  the  "Light  of 
Asia"  was  withdrawn. 

The  following  winter  it  was  given  out  that 
the  animal  had  taken  cold  and  died  in  Phila- 
delphia, but  there  are  plenty  of  showmen  who 
aver  that  the  animal  is  as  lively  and  healthy  as 
ever,  though  wearing  black  instead  of  chalky 
white.  A  somewhat  significant  fact  regarding 
this  fake  was  that  during  the  previous  summer 
its  owners  had  been  annoyed  on  arrival  in 
various  towns  to  find  an  opposition  sideshow, 
with  its  canvas  already  up.  It  belonged  to  an 
Englishman  whose  sole  attraction  was  a  yellow 
horse.  No  one  had  ever  heard  of  a  yellow 
horse  before,  and  the  farmers  for  miles  around 
came  in  and  eagerly  paid  ten  cents  to  see  this 
wonder.  The  animal  was  not  particularly 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  43 

beautiful,  but  was  certainly  a  bright  yellow,  as 
were  also  the  hands  of  his  master.  In  fact, 
there  was  no  doubt  but  that  its  owner  had 
rubbed  the  animal  well  with  yellow  ochre. 
The  proprietor  of  the  "Light  of  Asia"  paid  the 
show  a  visit  and  laughed  heartily  at  the  decep- 
tion. After  looking  at  the  horse  a  little  while, 
he  remarked  to  its  owner:  "Well,  if  you  can 
turn  a  gray  horse  yellow,  you  should  be  able  to 
turn  an  elephant  white."  What  happened 
afterward  I  am  unable  to  say,  but,  singular  to 
relate,  the  following  spring,  when  the  "Light 
of  Asia"  was  "imported,"  a  special  trainer  was 
brought  with  it  from  Siam  who  gave  the  ani, 
mal  his  exclusive  care  and  attention.  This 
trainer  was  an  Englishman,  and  many  of  the 
circus  attache's  thought  they  had  seen  the  man 
exhibiting  the  yellow  horse. 

In  1883,  while  passing  down  the  Bowery  in 
New  York,  I  heard  my  name  loudly  shouted. 
Turning  around  I  met  an  English  showman 
who  was  just  then  managing  one  of  the  many 
dime  museums  then  established  in  that 
thoroughfare. 

"Come  inside,  Mr.  Coup,"  said  he,  "and  I 
will  show  you  my  latest." 

"Your  latest  what?"  said  I. 

"Fake,"  he  answered.     "These  freaks  want 


44         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

too  much  money,  and  are  nearly  played  out, 
anyway,  so  I'm  making  fresh  ones  now." 

THE  WILD  CAVE-DWELLER  OF  KENTUCKY 

The  place  was  packed  with  people,  and  an 
enormous  banner  on  the  outside  depicted  a 
savage-looking  wild  man.  He  was  described 
as  having  been  captured  in  the  caves  of  Ken- 
tucky. I  followed  my  acquaintance  upstairs, 
and  in  due  time,  after  a  preliminary  lecture,  a 
door  was  thrown  open,  disclosing  what  looked 
like  a  prison  cell,  in  which,  chained  to  an  iron 
grating,  stood  a  man  closely  resembling  the 
one  represented  in  the  picture.  His  skin  was  of 
a  tawny  yellow,  his  body  was  covered  with  hair, 
and  he  ravenously  snapped  at  and  ate  the  lumps 
of  raw  beef  which  an  attendant  threw  to  him. 

I  cannot  say  that  it  was  a  pleasant  sight,  but 
from  its  effect  on  the  spectators  it  was  un- 
doubtedly a  satisfactory  one,  and  as  the  door 
closed  on  it  I  said  to  my  acquaintance : 

"Where  did  you  get  him?" 

He  replied:  "Why,  you  know  the  man  well. 
He  traveled  with  you  two  seasons.  Come  in- 
side and  talk  with  him. ' ' 

I  followed  him,  and  no  sooner  were  we  in  the 
cage  than  the  terrible  "wild  man"  held  out  his 
hand  to  me  and  said,  "How  do  you  do,  Mr. 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  45 

Coup?"  The  voice  was  strangely  familiar.  I 
scrutinized  the  fellow's  features  and  recognized 
in  him  a  Russian  who  had  been  exhibited  in 
our  sideshow  as  a  "hairy  man."  He  had 
allowed  his  skin  to  be  dyed  yellow  and  his 
whiskers  and  hair  black,  and,  for  a  considera- 
tion of  about  four  times  his  usual  salary,  was 
now  posing  as  a  wild  man.  He  afterward  went 
West  and  continued  this  mode  of  exhibition  for 
several  months,  until  he  was  played  out  in  that 
capacity,  whereupon  a  few  warm  baths  enabled 
him  to  resume  his  former  employment  as 
"Ivanovitch,  the  hairy  man." 

Another  celebrated  fake  which  met  with  suc- 
cess in  the  East  was' the  "dog-faced  man." 
The  Englishman  before  spoken  of  engaged  a 
variety  performer  who  was  an  adept  at  imitat- 
ing the  barking  of  dogs.  The  manager  had  in 
his  possession  an  old  photograph  of  "Jo-jo,  the 
dog-faced  boy,"  and  was  resolved  to  place  a 
good  imitation  of  this  freak  before  the  Ameri- 
can public.  He  accordingly  had  made  a  very 
expensive  wig  which  covered  completely  the 
head,  face  and  shoulders.  Dressing  the  man 
in  the  garb  of  a  Russian  peasant,  he  advertised 
him  as  "Nicolai  Jacobi,  the  Russian  dog-faced 
man."  So  good  was  the  .disguise  that  they 
exhibited  an  entire  week  at  a  Jersey  City  mu- 


46         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

seum,  deceiving  even  the  astute  proprietor. 
Next  they  went  to  Boston,  where  they  played 
to  the  most  phenomenal  business  on  record. 
The  proprietor  of  the  museum  had  a  very 
clever  cartoonist  in  his  employ,  and  as  the 
Englishman  and  his  dog-faced  friend  walked 
from  the  station  to  the  museum  they  saw  noth- 
ing but  pictures  of  dog-faced  men.  In  front  of 
the  museum,  in  a  large  cage,  was  one  of  the 
fiercest  wildcats  they  had  even  seen,  labeled, 
"The  pet  of  the  dog-faced  man." 
They  played,  as  I  have  said,  to  phenomenal 
business.  For  two  weeks  thousands  of  per- 
sons daily  struggled  for  the  privilege  of  paying 
ten  cents  to  see  this  amusing  fake.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  one  of  the  employe's  betrayed  the 
secret  to  a  reporter  and  the  attraction  was 
rendered  valueless.  Strange  to  relate,  the  suc- 
cess of  this  "fake"  was  the  means  of  bringing 
from  Europe  the  original  dog-faced  boy, 
"Jo-jo,"  who  for  several  years  drew  a  good 
salary  at  the  various  dime  museums,  but  never 
created  so  much  excitement  by  virtue  of  his 
genuineness  as  the  "fake"  did. 

THE     TWO-HEADED     GIRI/S     THREE-HEADED     RIVAL 

Millie  Christine,   the  "two-headed  nightin- 
gale," had  been  exhibiting  in  New  York  City, 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  47 

and  public  attention  was  called,  shortly  after- 
ward, to  the  fact  that  a  lady  with  three  perfect 
heads  would  be  exhibited  on  a  certain  day. 
Now,  this  strange  being  was  really  an  optical 
illusion,  built  on  the  same  lines  as  the  ghost 
show  invented  by  Professor  Pepper.  Three 
girls  were  used,  and  all  portions  of  their 
figures  not  intended  to  be  shown  were  covered 
with  a  black  cloth.  The  whole  illusion  is 
merely  an  effect  of  light  and  shade. 

Still  another  "fake"  that  not  only  "drew" 
well  but  positively  deceived  the  whole  New 
York  press,  was  the  ' '  Dahomey  Giant. "  About 
1882  a  very  tall  specimen  of  the  African  race 
walked  into  an  Eastern  museum  looking  for 
work.  He  was  actually  over  seven  feet  in 
height,  and  had  never  been  on  exhibition. 
Knowing  that  his  value  as  a  negro  giant  would 
be  but  little,  the  proprietors  resolved  to  intro- 
duce him  as  a  monster  wild  African.  After 
consulting  Rev.  J.  G.  Woods'  Illustrated  His- 
tory of  the  Uncivilized  Races,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  make  a  Dahomey  of  the  tall  North 
Carolinian.  A  theatrical  costumer  was  set  to 
work  to  make  him  a  picturesque  garb.  A 
spurious  cablegram  was  issued,  purporting  to 
be  from  Farini,  of  London,  stating  that  the 
Dahomey  giant  had  sailed  with  his  interpreter 


48         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

from  London  and  would  arrive  in  Boston  on  or 
about  a  certain  date. 

The  man,  with  his  interpreter,  was  then 
taken  by  train  to  Boston,  from  which  city  they, 
in  due  time,  wired  the  museum  proprietor  of 
their  arrival.  That  telegram  was  answered  by 
another  telling  them  to  take  the  first  Fall  River 
boat  for  New  York  City.  The  press  was  then 
notified,  and  the  representatives  of  five  New 
York  papers  were  actually  sent  to  the  pier  the 
following  morning  to  interview  the  distin- 
guished stranger  from  Dahomey.  The  man 
had  been  well  schooled,  and  pretending  not  to 
know  a  word  of  the  English  language,  could 
not,  of  course,  converse  with  the  reporters. 
But  his  interpreter  managed  to  fill  them  up 
very  comfortably.  At  all  events,  long  and 
interesting  accounts  of  the  "snuff -colored  giant 
from  Dahomey"  appeared  in  most  of  the 
dailies,  and  for  several  weeks  this  Dahomey 
was  the  stellar  attraction  at  that  particular 
dime  museum.  The  advent  of  summer  and  its 
consequent  circus  season  closing  the  city 
museums,  the  Dahomey  "joined  out"  with  a 
side  show  in  which,  for  successive  seasons,  he 
posed  as  a  Dahomey  giant,  a  Maori  from  New 
Zealand,  an  Australian  aborigine  and  a  Kaffir. 
This  man's  success  was  the  initiative  for  a 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  49 

score  of  other  negroes,  who  posed  as  repre- 
sentatives of  any  foreign  races  the  side-show 
proprietor  wished  to  exhibit. 

MISSING  LINKS  AND  DANCING  TURKEYS 

Krao,  the  "missing  link,"  as  she  was  called, 
was  simply  a  hairy  child,  and  almost  exactly 
like  Annie  Jones,  who  was  exhibited  by  Bar- 
num  as  the  "Esau  Child."  A  great  card  for 
museums  at  one  time  was  the  "human-faced 
chicken."  The  first  one  placed  on  exhibition 
was  purchased  in  good  faith  by  an  acquaint- 
ance of  mine,  and  proved  a  good  attraction. 
A  visiting  farmer,  however,  declared  that  it 
was  nothing  but  an  ordinary  chicken  which  had 
had  its  bill  frozen  off,  and  so  it  proved. 

Dancing  turkeys  were  then  introduced  arid 
caused  great  amusement.  The  awkward  birds 
would  walk  onto  their  exhibition  stage  and  go 
through  a  decidedly  grotesque  dance,  their 
mode  of  lifting  their  feet  being  highly  laugh- 
able. The  truth  was  that  the  stage  on  which 
they  danced  was  a  piece  of  sheet-iron  covered 
with  a  cloth.  The  iron  was  heated  to  an  un- 
comfortable degree  by  gas  jets  underneath. 
What  the  public  accepted  as  dancing  was  really 
the  efforts  made  by  the  birds  to  prevent  their 
feet  from  being  burned. 


50         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 


THE  SALARIES  PAID  TO  FREAKS 

The  spread  of  the  dime  museum  craze  cre- 
ated a  great  demand  for  freaks  and  a  conse- 
quent rise  in  their  salaries.  I  know  I  am 
violating  no  confidence  when  I  say  that  at 
various  times  the  following  freaks  have  drawn 
weekly  the  sums  set  opposite  their  names : 

"La  Tocci  Twins," $1,000.00 

"Millie  Christine," 600.00 

"Wild  Man  of  Borneo," 300.00 

"Chang,  the  Chinese  Giant,"  .    .     .  400.00 

"Chemah,  the  Chinese  Dwarf,"    .     .  300.00 

Ordinary  giants  and  midgets,  .$30.00  to  100.00 

Bearded  ladies, 30.00  to  75.00 

Living  skeletons 30.00  to  75.00 

Armless  men,    .......     30.00  to  100.00 

Ossified  men, 30.00  to  200.00 

And  as  an  offset  to  the  above  figures,  I  have 
heard  of  a  tatooed  man  who  would  talk  out- 
side, exhibit  himself  inside,  do  a  turn  of  magic, 
lift  barrels  of  water  with  his  teeth,  and,  as 
boss  canvasman,  superintend  the  putting  up 
and  pulling  down  of  the  show,  all  for  six 
dollars  a  week.  He  must  have  been  first 
cousin  to  the  man  who  traveled  with  the  circus 
simply  to  be  able  to  sit  on  the  fence  and  hear 
the  band  play. 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  51 

It  will  doubtless  seem  incredible  to  the  per- 
son unused  to  the  society  of  freaks  that  these 
unfortunates  should  take  a  seeming  pride  in 
their  distinguishing  misfortunes  and  be  jealous 
of  their  reputations;  this,  however,  is  one  of 
the  strongest  traits  of  the  typical  freak.  In 
our  show  at  one  time  we  carried  two  giants,  a 
Captain  Benhein,  a  Frenchman,  and  Colonel 
Goshin,  an  Arabian.  These  two  fellows  were 
almost  insanely  jealous  of  each  other,  and  it 
was  ludicrous  to  hear  the  threats  which  they 
exchanged ;  many  times  it  seemed  that  a  per- 
sonal encounter  was  imminent,  but  the  Ara- 
bian's courage  seemed  in  inverse  proportion 
to  his  size. 

THE    LOVE-MAKING     AND     MERRY-MAKING    OF     THE 
FREAKS 

Referring  to  Goshin  as  an  Arabian  brings  to 
light  a  curious  fact  with  regard  to  freaks  of 
great  size.  He  was  not  an  Arabian,  but  a 
negro  picked  up  by  "Yank  Robinson"  in  Ken- 
tucky. So  confirmed  is  the  habit  of  speaking 
of  him  as  an  Arabian  that  it  has  become  second 
nature  with  me,  and  I  think  that  this  tendency 
is  almost  universal  with  showmen;  they  be- 
come so  accustomed  to  enlarging  on  the  ficti- 


52         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

tious  characters  for  which  their  freaks  are 
played  that  I  sometimes  think  they  almost  get 
to  believe  these  stories  themselves. 

Among  the  freaks  the  women  were  almost 
universally  jealous  of  their  professional  repu- 
tations. Hannah  Battersbey,  who  weighed 
more  than  four  hundred  pounds,  recognized 
Kate  Heathley  as  her  particular  rival,  and 
either  of  these  women  could  be  instantly 
thrown  into  a  jealous  passion  at  the  mention 
of  the  other's  claim  to  superiority  in  the  mat- 
ter of  weight.  The  strange  alliances  which 
sometimes  took  place  in  the  freak  world  are 
well  illustrated  by  the  marriage  of  the  weighty 
Hannah  to  a  living  skeleton  who  touched  the 
scales  at  sixty-five  pounds. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  freaks  I  must 
mention  the  strangest  sight  that  it  was  ever 
my  fortune  to  look  upon  in  the  course  of  a  life 
spent  in  association  with  human  novelties. 
Early  in  my  career  I  was  fortunate  enough  to 
secure  the  show  rights  for  a  fair  in  Montgom- 
ery, Ala.,  which  was  held  just  at  the  end  of  the 
northern  show  season.  This  circumstance  re- 
sulted in  bringing  to  the  fair  a  most  unusual 
number  of  small  shows,  the  main  attractions  of 
which  were  freaks  of  every  kind  and  color. 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  53 

My  royalties  were  very  large,  and  I  was 
naturally  expected  to  do  something  handsome 
by  the  people  who  had  contributed  to  this  suc- 
cess; consequently  I  gave  a  dinner  to  the 
"freaks,"  and  that  banquet  table  presented  a 
scene  probably  unrivaled  in  history.  I  only  wish 
I  were  able  to  give  anything  approaching  an 
adequate  description  of  that  festal  board.  At 
the  head  of  the  table  was  the  towering  figure 
of  an  eight-foot  giant,  while  at  the  other  ex- 
tremity of  the  board  sat  a  thirty-six-inch 
dwarf.  The  jests  which  were  bandied  between 
the  banqueters  are  worthy  a  place  in  a  history 
of  wit.  A  single  instance,  however,  will  give 
an  idea  of  the  peculiar  terms  with  which  these 
people  enlivened  the  occasion.  As  the  "Arm- 
less Man"  helped  himself  to  potatoes,  the 
"Bearded  Lady"  opposite  him  called  out, 
"Hands  off!"  and  the  whole  company  shouted 
with  laughter. 

The  famous  "Australian  Children,"  who 
made  several  fortunes  for  their  exhibitors, 
came  from  Circleville,  Ohio,  and  were  the  chil- 
dren of  a  mulatto.  Occasionally  the  showman 
met  with  distressing  but  amusing  experiences 
resulting  from  the  identification  of  his  freaks 
on  the  part  of  the  public. 


54         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

THE  EXPOSURE  OF  THE  "AZTEC  CHILDREN" 

While  I  was  absent  from  my  show  my  man- 
ager once  engaged  two  boys  with  heads  little 
larger  than  teacups ;  one  of  them  had  a  club 
foot  and  had  some  little  claim  to  intelligence. 
Our  people  had  painted  them  to  look  like  sav- 
ages, and  they  were  exhibited  as  the  "Aztec 
Children."  One  day  when  the  lecturer  was 
expatiating  upon  these  remarkable  children  a 
burlo  countryman  shouted : 

"Hello,  John  Evans,  I  know  you;  I  worked 
in  the  harvest  field  with  you  many  a  day ;  oh, 
you  can't  fool  me." 

The  "Aztec  child"  had  been  taught  to  make 
no  reply  to  anything  said  to  him,  and  the  lec- 
turer paid  no  attention  to  anything  said  to  the 
countryman's  interruption,  but  the  countryman 
was  not  to  be  put  down,  and  once  more  he 
shouted : 

"Say,  Bill  Evans,  maybe  you  think  I  don't 
know  that  club  foot ;  just  come  off,  now. ' ' 

The  audience  was  greatly  amused  at  this, 
and  the  lecturer  saw  that  he  had  plenty  of 
trouble  on  hand;  consequently  he  called  the 
countryman  aside  and  told  him  that  he  was  cer- 
tainly mistaken  as  to  the  identity  of  the  freak. 
"Oh,  no,  I  ain't,"  replied  the  obdurate  fellow; 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  55 

"and  what  is  more,  you  and  your  whole  she- 
bang are  frauds  and  humbugs."  Then  the 
lecturer  took  another  tack,  gave  the  country- 
man five  dollars,  and  thought  the  incident 
closed ;  but  it  was  not,  for  the  fellow  proceeded 
to  spend  his  money  on  whisky  and  tell  his 
friends  of  his  discovery,  with  the  result  that 
the  business  at  that  point  was  ruined. 

From  the  viewpoint  of  the  showmen  there 
are  "fakers"  and  "fakirs. "  Under  the  former 
head  we  class  the  men  who  conceive  and  man- 
ufacture fakes  of  the  kind  already  described. 
The  fakirs  are  altogether  of  a  different  kind, 
being  the  camp-followers  who  hang  on  the 
heels  of  a  circus  for  the  purpose  of  swindling 
the  public  by  every  variety  of  device  known  to 
the  "blackleg  fraternity." 

Frequently  a  number  of  illegitimate  shows 
start  out,  and,  before  doing  so,  announce  that 
faking  privileges  are  to  be  leased.  The  lead- 
ers of  the  various  gangs  make  the  arrange- 
ments with  the  circus  proprietors,  depositing  a 
sum  of  money  in  the  ticket  wagon  with  which 
to  "square  squeals,"  then  the  tribe  of  showmen 
and  fakirs  start  out  on  their  nefarious  pilgrim- 
ages, the  shows  furnishing  the  transportation 
for  the  fakirs.  One  of  the  fakirs  in  connec- 
tion with  each  show  is  selected  as  the 


56         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

"squarer."  He  is  generally  a  member  of 
various  secret  societies  and  orders,  and  his 
particular  duty  is  to  bribe  the  petty  officers  of 
the  towns  visited,  to  secure  immunity  from 
arrest.  Lottery  schemes,  gambling  games  of 
every  sort,  pocket-picking  and  robbing  are 
among  the  methods  by  which  these  fakirs  reap 
their  harvest. 

AN  ADVENTURE  WITH  A  CIRCUS  SHARP 

My  life  has  been  frequently  threatened  and 
twice  attempted  because  of  my  persistent  de- 
termination to  drive  this  thieving  fraternity 
from  my  shows.  One  day  in  a  small  western 
town  a  man  introduced  himself  to  me  as  the 
brother  of  a  very  respectable  Chicagoan  and 
explained  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  Texas  to 
join  in  certain  speculations.  I  at  once  sus- 
pected him  of  being  a  fakir  and  gave  orders  to 
the  manager  of  the  side-show  to  get  rid  of  him 
and  all  his  kind.  A  little  later  the  landlord 
came  to  me  and  said:  "Mr.  Coup,  there  is  a 
fellow  out  here  who  says  he  will  shoot  you  on 
sight;  he  is  one  of  the  men  traveling  with 
you. ' '  On  investigation  I  found  that  he  was 
not  the  man  who  had  introduced  himself  to 
me,  but  was  one  of  the  gang  attempting  to 
work  the  show :  he  bore  a  desperate  reputation, 


FREAKS  AND  FAKES  57 

and  was  popularly  credited  with  having  killed 
several  men ;  all  of  my  employe's  stood  in  fear 
of  him,  and  I  concluded  to  appeal  to  the  mayor 
of  the  town  for  necessary  protection  and  assist- 
ance. Before  doing  so,  however,  I  put  on  a 
heavy  ulster,  in  each  side-pocket  of  which  I 
placed  a  loaded  six-shooter.  With  a  finger  on 
the  trigger  of  each  revolver  I  started  out  to 
find  the  mayor.  While  crossing  the  public 
square  I  met  the  man  who  had  threatened  to 
shoot  me.  Stopping  squarely  in  front  of  him 
I  said:  "I  believe  you  have  threatened  and  in- 
tend to  kill  me,  and  I  want  to  say  to  you  that 
you  will  never  find  a  better  opportunity  to  do 
so  than  right  now."  He  proposed  to  argue 
the  question  with  me,  but  I  simply  insisted 
that  he  should  leave  town  at  once.  The  out- 
law began  a  tirade  of  abuse,  and  remarked  that 
he  was  a  southern  man.  "Well,"  I  answered, 
"if  you  wish  to  bring  that  question  into  the 
argument,  I  am  a  northern  man,  and  you  may 
tell  this  to  all  of  your  tribe. ' '  That  ended  the 
matter,  and  he  left  town  that  afternoon ;  but  if 
he  had  not  known  that  I  had  two  six-shooters 
pointed  directly  at  him,  I  would  probably  not 
have  been  left  to  tell  the  tale. 

In  my  battles  against  the  fakirs  I  have  uni- 
versally relied  upon  the  strong  arms  of  my 


58         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

husky  "canvasmen,"  and  more  than  once  I 
have  armed  them  with  clubs  concealed  under 
their  coats,  with  the  result  that  the  fakirs  were 
driven  from  the  field  with  broken  arms  and 
noses.  It  is  a  lamentable  fact  that  not  a  few 
of  the  wealthiest  showmen  in  this  country  have 
swelled  their  fortunes  by  the  "rake-off"  from 
the  despicable  gains  of  these  blacklegs  and 
tricksters. 


IV 

MOVING   THE    BIG   SHOW 

It  requires  several  months  of  hard  labor  to 
prepare  any  show  for  the  road,  even  those 
already  organized,  for,  as  a  rule,  all  shows 
"lay  off"  during  the  winter.  With  few  excep- 
tions the  horses  are  allowed  to  "run  out,"  and 
all  the  wagons  and  paraphernalia  are  stored  in 
convenient  winter  quarters  provided  for  the 
purpose.  The  wild  animals  are  taken  from 
their  traveling  cages  and  placed  in  more  com- 
modious ones.  The  manager  then  decides  on 
his  route  for  the  coming  season.  This,  in 
itself,  is  an  arduous  labor,  for  the  cost  of 
transportation  becomes,  necessarily,  a  most 
important  consideration  in  his  calculations. 

The  manager  of  a  large  show,  however,  can 
do  this  with  comparative  ease,  since  he  does 
not  fear  opposition  so  much  as  does  the  man- 
ager of  the  small  show  and,  consequently,  may 
choose  his  own  territory,  while  his  small  op- 
ponent must  skirmish  around  to  get  out  of  the 
way  of  the  larger  show. 
59 


60         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

Therefore,  the  route  of  the  big  show  is  com- 
pleted on  paper  not  later  than  the  first  of  Feb- 
ruary, and  the  first  agent,  usually  the  railroad 
contractor,  begins  his  duties.  Such  a  show  as 
I  am  describing  is  perfectly  safe  in  laying  out 
its  route  thus  early  and  advertising  its  days  and 
dates  for  months  in  advance.  And,  having 
done  this,  woe  betide  any  smaller  concern 
which  elects  to  show  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood, for  the  larger  show  will  immediately 
send  an  advance  brigade  and  literally  flood  the 
country  with  their  bills.  Brigades  of  this  kind 
are  called  "skirmishers,"  and  are  kept  in  readi- 
ness to  jump  to  any  point  where  their  services 
are  needed  to  fight  any  kind  of  opposition. 
They  thus  uphold  a  sort  of  monarchical  right  in 
the  territory  and  prevent,  if  possible,  the  suc- 
cess of  the  lesser  attraction.  This  makes  it 
really  far  more  difficult  to  manage  a  small  show 
than  a  large  one,  as  the  latter  has  "the  right  of 
might, ' '  while  the  lesser  shows  are  continually 
forced  in  each  other's  way,  to  their  own  detri- 
ment and  often  to  their  complete  financial  dis- 
aster. A  large  concern  in  a  prosperous  season 
clears  an  immense  amount  of  money,  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  a  disastrous  season  is  bound  to 
result  in  an  enormous  loss. 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  61 


THE    FIRST   ATTEMPT    TO    MOVE    A    CIRCUS    BY    RAIL 

A  few  weeks  before  the  time  for  opening  the 
circus  season  the  horses  are  taken  in,  stabled, 
groomed  and  fed  with  grain  to  get  them 
"hard"  and  in  good  condition  for  work.  The 
wagons  are  overhauled,  painted  and  gilded, 
and,  if  necessary,  new  ones  are  built.  The 
various  agents  are  by  this  time  hard  at  work, 
each  having  his  particular  duties  to  perform. 

Previous  to  1872  the  "railroad  circus"  was 
an  unknown  quantity.  Like  all  other  circuses 
of  that  day,  the  big  show  of  which  I  was  the 
manager  traveled  by  wagon.  During  our 
first  season  our  receipts  amounted  in  round 
numbers  to  $400,000,  exclusive  of  side  shows, 
concerts  and  candy  stands.  Of  course  we 
showed  in  towns  of  all  sizes  and  our  daily  re- 
ceipts ranged  from  $1,000  to  $7,000.  Finding 
that  the  receipts  in  the  larger  towns  were  fre- 
quently twice  and  three  times  as  much  as  in 
the  smaller  ones,  I  became  convinced  that  we 
could  at  least  double  our  receipts  if  we  could 
ignore  the  small  places  and  travel  only  from 
one  big  town  to  another,  thereby  drawing  the 
cream  of  the  trade  from  the  adjacent  small 
towns  instead  of  trying  to  give  a  separate  ex- 
hibition in  each.  This  was  my  reason  for 


62         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

determining  to  move  the  show  by  rail  the  fol- 
lowing season. 

To  this  end,  therefore,  I  at  once  telegraphed 
to  the  superintendents  of  the  different  railroads 
asking  if  they  could  accommodate  us  and  guar- 
antee to  get  us  to  the  various  towns  in  time  to 
give  the  exhibitions  as  advertised ;  and  in  order 
for  us  to  do  that  it  was  necessary,  I  informed 
them,  that  we  be  landed  in  a  town  as  early  as 
six  A.M.  From  some  of  the  railroad  superin- 
tendents came  the  reply,  "Cannot  furnish 
switch  room,"  and  from  others,  "Give  further 
particulars."  After  a  great  deal  of  corre- 
spondence I  went  to  Philadelphia  and  inter- 
viewed the  officials  of  the  Pennsylvania  Com- 
pany. I  urged  and  argued  and  argued  and 
urged,  until  they  said  I  was  the  most  persist- 
ent man  they  had  ever  seen,  and  even  told  me 
they  would  pay  me  if  I  would  leave  them  in 
peace.  This,  however,  did  not  suit  my  pur- 
pose, and  I  hung  on  until  I  finally  made  ar- 
rangements with  them. 

After  much  preparation  we  eventually  fixed 
upon  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  as  our  first  load- 
ing place.  We  were  new  at  the  work  and  so 
commenced  loading  at  eight  P.  M.  and  finished 
the  job  at  eight  A.M.,  with  no  extraordinary 
incidents  except  the  breaking  of  one  camel's 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  63 

back — the  creature  having  the  misfortune  to 
slip  off  the  "runs."  From  New  Brunswick  we 
went  to  Trenton,  where  I  had  hired  Pullman 
cars  for  our  performers  and  band,  and  cheaper 
cars  for  our  laborers  and  other  attache's. 

THE  SPARTAN  HABITS  OF  THE  OLD-TIMERS 

Our  experience  with  the  vast  crowds  of  the 
season  before  had  given  us  the  idea  of  building 
two  rings  and  giving  a  double  performance. 
This,  of  course,  doubled  our  company,  but  it 
kept  the  audience  in  their  seats,  since  they 
were  precisely  as  well  off  in  one  part  of  the 
canvas  as  in  another,  whereas  in  the  old  one- 
ring  show  we  found  it  impossible  to  prevent 
the  people  who  were  farthest  from  the  ring 
from  standing  up.  They  would  rush  to  the 
front  and  thus  interfere  with  many  other 
people.  This  two-ring  arrangement  seemed  to 
obviate  this  difficulty,  and,  as  it  at  once  hit  the 
popular  fancy,  it  proved  a  great  drawing  card 
for  us  and  others,  for  within  a  few  months 
smaller  showmen  all  over  the  country  began  to 
give  two-ring  performances.  Indeed,  from 
that  time  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  old  one- 
ring  show  was  entirely  forgotten. 

It  was  quite  laughable,  during  the  earlier 
portion  of  the  season,  to  watch  the  expression 


64         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

on  the  faces  of  our  performers  when  they  came 
on  to  join  us  and  were  shown  the  Pullman  cars 
which  were  to  be  their  homes  for  the  next  six 
months.  "It  is  too  good  to  last,"  remarked 
one.  "The  expense  will  break  the  show, ' '  said 
another.  To  their  surprise,  however,  it  lasted 
that  season  and  has  lasted  ever  since.  Pre- 
vious to  that  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  tak- 
ing breakfast  at  any  hour  from  midnight  to 
four  P.  M. ,  according  to  the  number  of  miles 
they  had  to  travel ;  but  now  all  is  changed,  and 
an  era  of  luxuriant  comfort  has  become  estab- 
lished for  them.  For  many  months,  however, 
at  the  dawn  of  this  epoch,  the  performers 
viewed  their  regular  meals  and  sumptuous  sur- 
roundings with  a  comical  seriousness  most 
ludicrous  to  behold. 

Small  shows  had,  prior  to  this  time,  traveled 
to  a  limited  extent  by  rail ;  but  not  with  accom- 
modations like  ours.  Such  shows  consisted  of 
seven  or  eight  cars,  whereas  ours  numbered 
sixty-one.  All  of  these,  with  the  exception  of 
the  sleeping  cars,  we  had  hired  from  the  rail-" 
road  company. 

SEVEN  HEARTBREAKING  DAYS  ON  THE  LONG  ROAD 

It  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  me  why  the 
railroads  build  themselves  cars  scarcely  any 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  65 

two  of  which  are  of  uniform  height.  Our 
heavy  wagons  would  be  pushed  up  on  "runs," 
and,  on  being  pushed  from  one  car  to  another, 
would  frequently  crash  through  the  rotten 
boards  composing  the  bed  of  the  car.  This 
would  cause  vexatious  delays. 

The  reader  cannot  possibly  form  any  idea  of 
the  amount  of  labor  involved  in  teaching  our 
men  to  become  proficient  in  loading  and  un- 
loading. It  is  a  positive  fact  that  I  never  took 
the  clothes  from  my  back  from  the  time  of  first 
loading  until  we  reached  Philadelphia,  our 
seventh  stop !  During  all  that  time  I  was  con- 
stantly teaching  the  men  the  art  of  loading 
and  unloading,  giving  attention  to  the  moving 
of  all  the  wagons,  chariots,  horses,  camels, 
elephants,  etc.  We  reached  Philadelphia  tired 
and  exhausted  with  the  seven  days'  hard  work. 

I  was  also  mentally  fatigued  by  my  partner's 
opposition  and  his  requests  to  abandon  the 
scheme ;  but  at  this  point  I  realized  more  than 
ever  the  benefits  that  would  accrue  from  this 
great  departure,  and  I  determined  to  stick  it 
out  to  the  end.  I  went  to  the  superintendent 
of  one  of  the  railroads  on  which  we  were  to 
travel  to  Baltimore  and  Washington  and  told 
him  I  must  have  a  lot  of  cars  of  uniform  con- 
struction at  any  price.  These  he  succeeded  in 


66         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

getting  after  considerable  trouble.  I  then 
made  up  my  mind  to  try  it  as  far  as  Washing- 
ton, and  if  I  could  not  by  that  time  get  every- 
thing to  run  smoothly  I  would  abandon  it. 
We  reached  Wilmington  without  mishap  and 
gave  our  exhibitions — three  each  day.  It  must 
be  remembered  that  we  had  advertised  three 
shows  daily,  and  so  far  had  given  them;  in- 
deed, we  did  throughout  the  season,  but  that 
was  the  first  and  only  year  that  such  a  feat  was 
attempted. 

I  told  the  railroad  superintendent  that  if  we 
could  manage  to  load  in  Wilmington  by  two 
A.  M.  and  reach  Baltimore  at  five  A.  M.  it  would 
be  a  success.  He  ordered  the  road  cleared, 
and  we  arrived  in  Baltimore  with  the  first  sec- 
tion only  a  little  late,  and,  with  a  little  extra 
energy,  we  had  the  parade  out  on  time  and 
opened  the  doors  to  the  morning  performance 
at  ten  A.M.  The  trip  from  Baltimore  was 
easily  made,  but  from  there  we  had  to  run  over 
heavy  grades  up  and  down  to  Frederick,  Md. 
In  order  to  load  we  had  to  remove  all  the 
brakes,  and  this  the  yardmaster  refused  to  do. 
I  showed  him  my  contract,  wherein  the  com- 
pany had  agreed  to  remove  all  brakes,  but 
he  still  refused,  so  I  finally  resorted  to  strategy. 

I  invited  him  to  a  restaurant,  and  while  we 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  67 

were  absent,  by  a  prearranged  movement, 
Baker,  the  boss  canvas-man,  wrenched  the 
brakes  off,  and  by  the  time  the  yardmaster 
and  I  returned  the  train  was  almost  loaded. 
Of  course  I  pretended  to  be  very  angry  at  such 
conduct,  but  our  point  was  gained.  As  the 
brakes  were  easily  replaced  we  made  the  next 
stop  all  right. 

PERFORMING    BY    DAY    AND    TRAVELING     BY    NIGHT 

I  determined  to  have  a  train  of  cars  built  for 
our  special  purpose,  and  accordingly  visited  all 
the  shops  in  the  east ;  but  I  could  find  no  one 
willing  to  undertake  the  job  on  such  short 
notice.  Finally,  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  I  made 
the  acquaintance  of  a  thorough  man  of  busi- 
ness. He  was  conducting  the  car  shops  there 
and  was  prepared  to  execute  any  order  I  might 
give  him.  In  a  short  time  I  had  made  a  con- 
tract with  him,  and  in  thirty  days  a  train  of 
cars  was  built.  They  were  of  uniform  height, 
with  iron  extensions  reaching  from  one  car  to 
another.  These  improvements  made  the  load- 
ing and  unloading  mere  play.  I  then  heard  of 
some  palace  horse  cars  at  Cleveland.  These  I 
bought.  I  had  them  freshly  painted  and  let- 
tered, "P.  T.  Barnum's  World's  Fair." 


68         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

When  our  men,  as  they  came  into  Columbus 
to  exhibit,  saw  that  train  awaiting  them,  they 
sent  up  such  a  shout  as  has  seldom  been 
heard.  Now  we  had  Pullman  cars  for  the 
artists,  sleeping  cars  for  the  laborers,  box  cars 
for  the  extra  stuff,  palace  cars  for  the  horses 
and  other  large  animals,  such  as  were  required 
for  teaming,  parades,  etc.,  and  platform  cars 
for  wagons,  chariots,  cages  and  carriages. 
Thus  the  Herculean  task  of  putting  the  first 
railroad  show  of  any  magnitude  on  its  own  cars 
was  successfully  accomplished. 

Little,  indeed,  do  the  managers  of  the  pres- 
ent day  know  of  the  untiring  energy  and  in- 
domitable perseverance  necessary  to  accomplish 
that  feat.  The  railroad  people  themselves 
were  utterly  ignorant  of  our  wants,  as  we  our- 
selves were  in  the  beginning.  Frequently,  as 
at  Washington,  the  yardmaster  would  order  us 
to  load  one  car  at  a  time,  then  switch  it  away 
and  commence  on  another.  To  load  a  train  in 
this  way  would  have  taken  us  twenty-four 
hours!  Finally,  however,  system  and  good 
order  came  out  of  chaos.  Once  properly 
launched  on  our  season,  we  were  able  to  give 
three  performances  daily,  and  quite  often  made 
jumps  of  one  hundred  miles  in  one  night.  The 
scheme,  as  I  had  predicted,  completely  revolu- 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  69 

tionized  the  show  business,  and  has  been 
adopted  since,  not  only  in  this  country,  but  by 
the  French  and  English  circus  proprietors  in 
their  travels  in  Germany.  It  also  greatly 
advertised  us,  vast  crowds  assembling  at  the 
depots  to  see  us  load  and  unload. 

ON    A    RUNAWAY    CIRCUS   TRAIN 

I  once  had  a  very  thrilling  experience  while 
riding  in  the  cab  of  the  locomotive  pulling  our 
train  from  Indiana,  Pa.  This  station  is  on  one 
of  the  branches  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad, 
high  up  on  the  mountain,  the  grade  there  being 
exceedingly  heavy.  It  is,  I  believe,  conceded 
to  be  one  of  the  steepest  grades  on  that  sys- 
tem. There  is  also  a  horse-shoe  bend,  or 
curve,  similar  to  the  well-known  one  on  the 
main  line.  While  standing  on  the  platform, 
about  the  time  the  last  car  was  being  loaded,  I 
was  accosted  by  the  engineer,  who  inquired  if 
I  had  ever  traveled  on  a  locomotive  and  if  I 
would  like  to  take  such  a  trip.  I  replied  that  I 
would  like  to  do  so,  and  boarded  the  engine 
with  him.  A  few  moments  later  the  signal 
bell  was  rung  and  we  pulled  out  into  the  dark- 
ness. I  placed  myself  so  as  not  to  be  in  the 
way  of  the  engineer  and  fireman  and  was  soon 
lost  in  meditation. 


70          SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

The  sensation  was  indescribably  weird  and 
thrilling.  The  scene  was  shrouded  in  dark- 
ness, and,  as  we  flew  along  the  road,  the  only 
discernible  objects  were  the  trees,  which 
seemed  to  me  like  giant  sentinels  saluting  as 
we  flew  past.  Now  and  then  we  caught 
glimpses  of  lights  in  the  mountain  valleys,  but 
they  passed  by  like  a  streak  of  lightning,  so 
rapidly  were  we  going. 

'How  far  can  your  practiced  eye  discern 
objects  on  a  night  like  this?"  I  asked  the 
engineer. 

"Only  a  rod  or  two,"  he  answered. 

"In  that  case,"  said  I,  "you  could  never  stop 
the  train  to  prevent  a  collision  should  an 
obstruction  present  itself?" 

"No — not  with  these  brakes,"  he  replied. 

As  he  said  this  his  face  blanched  and  he 
whistled  hard  for  down  brakes.  Finally  I 
heard  him  exclaim:  "God  help  us!  We're  run- 
ning away!" 

On,  on  we  sped  down  the  decline  at  a  speed 
that  was  something  frightful.  The  engine 
rattled  and  shook,  and  several  times  appeared 
to  be  almost  toppling  over.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  stand,  and  I  held  on  by  the  window 
ledge  for  dear  life.  Down  the  mountain  we 
sped  altogether  helpless !  We  had  no  control 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  71 

over  the  train,  loaded  down,  as  it  was,  with 
toppling  chariots,  with  horses,  animals,  ele- 
phants, camels  and  human  freight. 

PANIC    AMONG    THE    ANIMALS 

Evidently  the  animals  instinctively  knew  the 
danger,  for  above  the  rattle  and  roar  of  the 
train  could  occasionally  be  heard  some  of  those 
strange  trumpetings  which  proceed  from  an 
animal  only  in  moments  of  danger — often  just 
before  a  storm  or  cyclone.  Momentarily  I  ex- 
pected the  whole  train  to  be  thrown  from  the 
tracks  and  down  the  mountain  side.  By  the 
occasional  streaks  of  light  that  flew  past  us  I 
could  see  the  blanched  faces  of  both  the  engi- 
neer and  fireman,  and  knew  that  they  fully 
realized  our  awful  danger.  Both  of  them, 
however,  kept  perfectly  cool,  and  I  tried  to 
imitate  their  example.  How  far  I  succeeded  I 
do  not  know,  but  I  do  know  that  my  nerves 
were  strung  to  a  higher  pitch  than  they  ever 
were  before. 

A  blinding  rainstorm  added  to  the  horror  of 
the  situation,  and,  with  the  speed  at  which  we 
were  traveling,  each  drop  seemed  to  have  the 
penetrating  power  of  a  shot.  Quick  as  a  flash 
the  thought  passed  through  my  head:  What  if 
we  meet  a  train?  Just  at  that  moment  we  sped 


72         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

past  Blairsville  at  the  junction  of  the  branch 
road  and  the  main  line.  The  station  lights 
seemed  mere  specks.  As  we  struck  the  switch 
the  engine  jumped  and  almost  left  the  track. 
Looking  back  we  could  see  the  rear  lights  of 
our  train  swaying  in  the  path  like  a  ship  tem- 
pest-tossed at  sea.  Our  speed  seemed  to  in- 
crease as  we  flew  along  the  main  line. 

We  had  gone  twenty  miles  when  a  whistle 
was  heard  ahead. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked. 

"Another  train,"  replied  the  engineer;  "it 
will  pass  us  now,"  and  as  he  was  speaking  the 
reflecting  lights  of  its  engine  appeared,  appar- 
ently not  six  rods  from  us.  With  lightning 
rapidity  the  trains  passed  each  other  and  the 
"windage,"  to  use  a  nautical  term,  nearly  took 
my  breath. 

During  all  this  time,  which  positively  seemed 
hours,  my  thoughts  were  not  of  the  pleasant- 
est.  On,  on  we  dashed,  the  engine  frequently 
jumping  as  it  struck  something  on  the  track. 
It  seemed  to  me  a  miracle  that  the  train  did 
not  lurch  sheer  over  some  one  of  the  terrible  em- 
bankments. The  fireman  was  not  engaged  in 
tending  the  fire.  It  was  unnecessary.  We 
were  all  mute  spectators  of  the  scene  being 
enacted  by  this  silent  machine — the  marvelous 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  73 

and  lifelike  invention  of  man.  Gradually,  at 
last,  our  speed  began  to  slacken.  We  had 
reached  a  grade.  The  danger  was  past  and 
our  lives  were  saved ! 

A  SINGLE  TRACK  AND  A  BROKEN  RAIL 

We  were  still  moving  ahead  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  miles  an  hour  when— crash !  through  the 
window  came  some  object.  Once  more  the 
whistle  sounded  "down  brakes,"  and  in  less 
than  a  mile  the  train  came  to  a  stop.  Shortly 
afterward  we  heard  shouts  in  our  rear,  and  the 
man  who  had  flung  the  missile  through  the  cab 
window  came  running  breathlessly,  and  said 
that  less  than  a  mile  ahead  of  us  was  a  broken 
rail  that  would  undoubtedly  have  wrecked  our 
train.  Knowing  that  the  express  train  was 
due  in  about  an  hour  he  had  been  running 
back  to  the  station  to  detain  it,  when  he  had 
met  our  "wild"  train  and,  realizing  the 
danger,  had  done  all  he  could  to  prevent  a 
catastrophe. 

Back  sped  the  man  to  the  station  to  warn  the 
express,  leaving  us  between  what  were  un- 
doubtedly two  horrors.  The  station  was  fully 
a  mile  away.  Suppose  he  could  not  reach 
there  in  time!  There  we  were  on  a  single 
track,  a  broken  rail  ahead  of  us,  an  express 


74         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

train  due  at  any  moment  behind  us.  Slowly 
we  pulled  up  to  the  broken  rail  and  at  once 
replaced  it  with  a  new  one,  for  we  always 
carried  extra  rails  on  our  train  for  cases  of 
emergency.  The  track  walker  succeeded  in 
getting  to  the  station  in  time  to  stop  the  ex- 
press, though  luckily  it  was  not  quite  due. 
We  ran  back  to  Blairsville  and  switched  on  to 
a  side  track. 

There  we  found  that  the  second  section  of 
our  circus  train  was  due  at  nearly  the  same 
time  as  the  express  train,  and  it  was  an  anx- 
ious quarter  of  an  hour  that  we  spent  in  right- 
ing things.  When,  however,  the  second  sec- 
tion did  come  in,  I  found  they  had  been  more 
fortunate  than  the  first  section.  They  had 
taken  the  precaution  to  add  to  their  train  sev- 
eral cars  belonging  to  the  railroad  company, 
which  were  fitted  up  with  better  brakes  than 
ours,  some  of  them  being  supplied  with  both 
new  air  and  common  brakes.  Then  as  a  con- 
sequence of  these  precautions  the  train  had 
descended  the  mountain  under  perfect  con- 
trol. I  learned  a  lesson  from  that  experience, 
and  lost  no  time  in  fitting  all  our  cars  with 
air-brakes.  I  wish  I  could  remember  the 
name  of  the  engineer.  A  braver  man  never 
handled  an  engine  or  went  into  a  battle. 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  75 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  all  well- 
regulated  roads  employ  a  certain  number  of 
men  as  track  walkers,  whose  constant  duty  it 
is  to  patrol  every  inch  of  the  road  and  report 
the  slightest  irregularity  of  rails,  road-bed, 
etc.  On  this  particular  night  the  track-walk- 
er's lantern  had  gone  out,  and  the  only  expe- 
dient he  could  think  of  was  to  throw  a  stone 
through  the  cab  window.  I  have  often  shud- 
dered to  think  of  what  the  consequences  might 
have  been  had  not  his  aim  been  a  true  one. 

THE  BRONCHOS'  CHARMED  LIFE 

On  another  occasion,  while  going  into  Clin- 
ton, Iowa,  with  the  biggest  show  I  ever 
owned,  we  were  running  about  twenty  miles 
an  hour,  when  the  locomotive  jumped  the 
track  and  struck  a  tree.  The  shock  threw 
all  the  cars  of  that  section  on  their  ends.  The 
Mississippi  River  was  on  one  side  of  us  and  a 
springy  hill  on  the  other.  Here  in  this  narrow 
place  stood  the  cars,  laden  with  animals  of  all 
kinds.  It  was  truly  an  awful  situation.  We 
began  to  break  up  the  cars  in  order  to  extri- 
cate the  poor  dumb  brutes.  We  were  com- 
pelled to  hitch  ropes  about  the  horses'  necks 
and  pull  them  out,  only  to  find  perhaps  that 
their  legs  were  broken  or  that  they  were  other- 


76         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

wise  hopelessly  injured.  No  fewer  than 
thirty-five  of  my  best  horses  were  thus  lost. 
The  reader  must  remember  that,  as  the  cars 
had  been  thrown  on  their  ends,  in  each  horse 
car  twenty  horses  were  thrown  into  a  strug- 
gling heap.  Strange  to  say,  the  bronchos 
seemed  to  have  charmed  lives,  for  not  one  of 
them  was  hurt,  and  I  was  enabled  to  give  a 
performance  that  day  in  spite  of  the  accident. 

The  elephants  were  piled  up  in  much  the 
same  way  as  the  horses,  and  in  order  to  extri- 
cate them  it  was  necessary  to  strip  the  cars 
completely — a  labor  in  which  those  huge  ani- 
mals assisted  us.  The  camels  were  unhurt. 
The  loss,  in  crippled  animals  and  destruction 
of  cars,  amounted  to  several  thousand  dollars. 

I  cannot  leave  the  subject  of  moving  the  big 
show  without  going  back  to  some  of  my  earliest 
pioneer  experiences. 

No  other  human  being  can  realize  like  the 
showman  the  volume  of  dread  hardship  and 
disaster  held  by  those  two  small  words,  "bad 
roads."  At  the  time  of  my  breaking-in  we 
were  passing  through  a  section  of  the  country 
in  the  southwest,  over  such  wretchedly  con- 
structed highways  that  the  slightest  fall  of  rain 
was  sufficient  to  convert  them  into  rivers  of 
mud.  The  heavy  wagons  would  sink  to  their 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  77 

hubs  in  the  mire  and  the  whole  train  would  be 
stopped. 

Then  followed  a  scene  too  picturesque  to 
escape  the  attention  of  even  the  poor  fellows 
who  were  half  dead  from  lack  of  sleep.  By  the 
light  of  flaring  torches  a  dozen  big  draft  horses 
would  be  hitched  to  the  refractory  wagon. 
Inspired  by  the  shouts,  curses  and  sometimes 
the  blows  of  the  teamsters,  the  animals  would 
join  in  a  concerted  pull  that  made  their 
muscles  stand  out  like  knotted  ropes.  But 
often  a  battalion  of  six  teams  would  fail  to 
start  a  wagon. 

OLD  ROMEO  TO  THE  RESCUE 

Then  the  shout  would  go  down  the  line  for 
Romeo.  In  a  few  minutes  the  wise  old  ele- 
phant would  come  splashing  through  the  mud 
with  an  air  that  seemed  to  say,  "I  thought 
you'd  have  to  call  on  me!"  He  knew  his 
place  and  would  instantly  take  his  stand  be- 
hind the  mired  wagon.  After  he  had  carefully 
adjusted  his  huge  frontal  against  the  rear  end 
of  the  vehicle  the  driver  would  give  the  com- 
mand, "Mile  up!"  Gently,  but  with  a  tre- 
mendous power,  Romeo  would  push  forward, 
the  wagon  would  start,  and  lo !  the  pasty  mud 


78         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

would  close  in  behind  the  wheels  like  the  Red 
Sea. 

So  vividly  did  this  oft-repeated  picture  im- 
press me  that  it  is  as  clearly  before  me  now  as 
it  was  forty  years  ago.  Sometimes,  when  an 
elephant  was  not  available,  the  wagons  would 
be  literally  pulled  apart,  and  when  the  break 
came  the  horses  would  fall  sprawling  into  the 
mire,  only  their  heads  visible  above  the  surface 
of  the  mud. 

But  the  poor  horses  were  not  the  only  suffer- 
ers from  bad  roads.  The  men  came  in  for 
their  share.  Very  distinctly  do  I  remember 
the  night  when  we  were  about  to  cross  a 
slough.  Some  of  us  were  dozing  in  our  sad- 
dles, others  sleeping  soundly  on  the  tops  of  the 
wagons  which  carried  the  tents.  Suddenly 
the  shout  was  heard  from  the  man  in  the  lead, 
"Help,  there,  boys!  I'm  going  down  in  the 
quicksands!  Throw  out  a  line,  lively!" 

We  knew  the  voice.  It  belonged  to  Hickey, 
the  wagon  boss,  who  was  a  favorite  with  the 
men.  Instantly  the  fellows  tumbled  from  the 
wagons  and  rushed  forward.  The  torches 
showed  Hickey  sunk  to  his  armpits.  A  man 
of  ready  wit  and  action  threw  a  rope  and  the 
sinking  man  caught  it  and  passed  the  noose 
over  his  head  and  under  his  arms,  knotting  it 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  79 

so  that  it  could  not  slip  and  cut  him  in  two. 
By  that  time  a  team  of  horses  had  been  hitched 
to  the  other  end  of  the  rope. 

"All  right!  Easy,  now!"  came  the  order 
from  Hickey,  and  the  team  was  carefully 
started.  Watching  those  horses  strain 'on  the 
rope  made  me  hold  my  breath  in  expectation 
that  the  poor  fellow  would  be  actually  drawn  in 
two.  But,  finally,  the  grip  of  the  mire  loos- 
ened and  he  was  hauled  out  to  safety. 

AN  UNEXPECTED  MIDNIGHT  BATH 

Perhaps  the  most  disheartening  of  all  bad- 
road  experiences  is  that  of  losing  the  way — a 
thing  which  happened  with  perverse  fre- 
quency. Just  imagine  yourself  a  member  of 
such  a  caravan.  You  have  slept  four  hours 
out  of  sixteen  and  are  crawling  along  in  the 
face  of  a  drenching,  blinding  rainstorm — 
soaked,  hungry  and  dazed.  The  caravan  has 
halted  a  dozen  times  in  the  forepart  of  the 
night  to  pull  out  wagons  and  repair  break- 
downs. But  it  halts  again,  and  the  word 
"lost"  is  passed  back  along  the  line  of  wagons. 
This  means  retracing  the  route  back  to  the 
forks  of  the  road  miles  in  the  rear.  Many  an 
old  circus  man  has  wished  himself  dead  on 


8o         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

hearing  the   word  "lost"  under   these  condi- 
tions. 

After  one  of  these  disheartening  experi- 
ences, when  we  were  obliged  to  "right  about 
face"  and  drive  the  poor,  jaded  horses  back 
over  the  same  road  along  which  they  had  made 
their  useless  but  painful  pilgrimage,  I  clam- 
bered up  to  the  top  of  the  tent  wagon, 
stretched  out  on  the  jolting,  shaking  heap  of 
canvas,  and  was  soon  oblivious  to  fatigue  and 
discouragement.  My  next  conscious  impres- 
sion was  that  of  a  sudden  crashing  of  timbers, 
the  squealing  of  frightened  horses  and  "the 
sensation  of  falling.  Then  I  felt  myself  plung- 
ing into  the  icy  waters  of  a  little  stream  into 
which  the  heavy  show  wagon  and  all  its  con- 
tents had  been  precipitated  by  the  breaking  of 
a  bridge.  It  seems  almost  miraculous  that  I 
should  have  escaped  falling  under  the  mass  of 
tents  on  which  I  had  been  sleeping,  but  in 
some  way  I  was  thrown  to  one  side  and  con- 
trived to  reach  the  shore  in  safety. 

It  is  usual,  in  arranging  the  season's  route, 
for  a  circus  to  make  all  the  "big  jumps"  on 
Sundays ;  and  it  not  infrequently  happens  that 
from  three  hundred  to  five  hundred  miles  are 
covered  between  Saturday  and  Monday.  This 
arrangement  is  very  convenient  in  many  ways. 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  81 

It  may  take  you  out  of  a  country  that  is  over- 
run with  opposition  shows  into  one  where  you 
may  have  the  whole  field  to  yourself,  or  it  may 
take  you  to  a  part  of  the  country  where  the 
climate  has  forced  the  harvests  and  therefore 
placed  more  money  in  circulation  than  usual. 
As  a  general  thing  circus  employe's  are  not 
in  love  with  Sunday  runs  for,  commodious  as 
their  cars  are,  they  are  not  exactly  fitted  up  to 
enable  all  occupants  to  loll  lazily  around  and 
enjoy  a  luxurious  ride.  If  the  day  happens  to 
be  rainy,  most  of  them  lie  in  their  beds  and 
content  themselves  with  reading,  with  an 
occasional  chat,  argument  or  light  lunch,  and 
in  this  way  endeavor  to  pass  the  time  as  best 
they  can.  If,  however,  the  day  happens  to  be 
a  fine  one,  then  at  daybreak  comes  'a  mighty 
exodus  from  the  sleeping  cars.  Cozy  nooks 
are  singled  out  and  made  comfortable  by  press- 
ing into  service  all  available  shawls,  rugs,  etc. 
Those  physically  strong  enough  to  brave  the 
exposure  make  for  the  tops  of  stock  and  box 
cars  where,  lolling  at  ease,  they  discuss  sundry 
topics  of  interest  and  revel  in  the  ride  through 
the  country.  Others  select  places  underneath 
the  chariots  and  cages  which  are  loaded  on  the 
flat  cars,  and  thus,  sheltered  from  the  sun, 
spend  a  delightful  time.  Once,  at  least,  dur- 


82          SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

ing  the  day,  a  stop  of  a  couple  of  hours  is 
made  to  enable  the  horses  and  animals  to  be 
fed  and  watered,  and  advantage  is  taken  of 
this  interval  by  the  performers  and  other 
attaches  to  stretch  themselves  and  also  to  cater 
to  their  own  personal  wants.  Both  comic  and 
serious  accidents  are  frequently  the  result  of 
carelessness  during  these  runs,  as  the  follow- 
ing examples  prove : 

In  one  long  run  between  Springfield,  Mo., 
and  Mattoon,  111.,  one  of  our  men  was  standing 
erect  on  the  top  of  a  car,  when  a  telegraph 
wire  caught  him  under  his  ^chin  and  cut  his 
head  completely  off,  as  though  done  by  the 
surgeon's  knife.  On  that  same  trip  my  watch- 
man, Nelse,  had  the  misfortune  to  have  his 
straw  hat  blow  off  his  head.  The  hat  rolled 
gently  along  the  top  of  the  flat  car  and  finally 
rolled  off  and  fell  on  the  side  track.  Imme- 
diately the  watchman  jumped  to  the  ground, 
snatched  up  the  hat,  and  leaped  unhurt  on  the 
last  car,  although  the  train  was  making  nearly 
twenty  miles  an  hour.  Probably  the  hat  cost 
him  originally  fifty  cents. 

Of  all  the  Sunday  runs  I  ever  took,  how- 
ever, I  recall  one  that  was  especially  pleasant. 
It  took  place  back  in  the  seventies,  and  was  a 
run  of  some  three  hundred  miles  across  an 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  83 

Indian  reservation  between  a  town  in  Kansas 
and  another  in  southern  Texas.  The  day  was 
beautiful,  and  as  we  bowled  along  the  prairie  I 
felt  that  the  "stillness" — comparatively  speak- 
ing— (so  seldom  enjoyed  by  circus  people)  was 
most  refreshing.  I  don't  suppose  there  ever 
was  a  country-bred  boy  who  lived  long  enough 
to  forget  how,  in  his  younger  days,  the  Sab- 
bath seemed,  always,  a  day  of  stillness  and 
quiet.  The  cessation  of  all  business  and  the 
chiming  of  church  bells  produced  an  effect 
that  could  not  fail  of  indelible  impression ;  and 
that  Sunday  morning  ride  over  the  reservation 
brought  back  the  scenes  of  childhood  to  many 
a  rough  and  rugged  circus  man.  Towards 
noon  we  halted  and  erected  cooking  tents  and 
stables.  The  horses  and  animals  were  looked 
after  and  a  dinner  was  cooked  by  the  attache's. 
After  dinner  they  formed  congenial  knots  and 
strolled  around  while  the  "hash  slingers" 
washed  the  dishes  and  the  men  once  more 
loaded  up.  We  carried  at  that  time  an  excel- 
lent troupe  of  Jubilee  singers,  and  with  the 
light  heart  and  impressionable  feelings  of  their 
race,  they  burst  into  song,  alternating  their 
quaint  camp  meeting  songs  with  others  in 
which  the  majority  of  the  attache's  could  join. 
The  band,  too,  caught  the  infection  and  pro- 


84         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

duced  their  instruments  and  we  enjoyed  a 
vocal  and  instrumental  feast.  Just  at  dusk,  when 
the  stars  were  beginning  to  appear,  before 
starting  for  the  night's  run,  the  "Jubes"  sang 
"Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee"  to  the  full  accom- 
paniment of  the  band  and  with  a  refrain 
swelled  by  every  one  able  to  sing.  I  have,  in 
the  course  of  my  travels,  visited  many  grand 
concerts  and  operas,  but  their  most  solemn  and 
sacred  effects  are  dwarfed  into  absolute  insig- 
nificance compared  with  that  of  this  impromptu 
performance.  The  rolling  prairie,  the  beauti- 
ful trees,  the  perfect  weather,  the  joyous  spirits 
of  every  one  present,  the  melodious  voices  of 
the  Jubilee  singers,  and  the  grand  strains  pro- 
duced by  thirty  skilled  musicians,  combined  to 
produce  music  such  as  man  seldom  hears — 
that,  on  account  of  its  spontaneity,  thrilled  the 
hearts  of  all  present,  then  seemed  to  go  right 
up  to  heaven,  and  "die  amid  the  stars." 

"All  aboard!"  is  shouted,  and  every  one 
climbs  into  the  car.  The  whistle  sounds  and 
off  you  go,  past  miles  of  beautiful  scenery  and 
occasional  Indian  villages.  Everything  is 
quiet  and  every  one  seems  to  be  "drinking  in" 
the  beauty  of  the  scene  or  sits  lost  in  thought. 
No  more  singing  or  playing.  All  seem  to  be 
so  solemnly  impressed  with  that  last  grand 


MOVING  THE  BIG  SHOW  85 

hymn  that  the  silence  is  unbroken.  That  Sun- 
day run  will  always  stay  in  my  memory !  With 
quiet  "good-nights"  one  after  another  slipped 
off  to  bed  to  awake  to  another  day's  hurry  and 
bustle. 


One  of  the  most  terrible  and  impressive  ex- 
periences of  my  entire  career  came  to  me  very 
shortly  after  I  had  become  well  settled  in  the 
circus  harness.  Sleep  was  the  dragon  which 
pursued  me  then  with  a  relentless  and  irresist- 
ible power.  There  was  scarcely  a  moment 
when  I  was  not  under  its  spell,  at  least  to 
some  degree.  It  was  like  a  vampire  that  took 
the  zest  and  vitality  out  of  my  very  life  sources 
and  I  went  about  almost  as  one  walking  in  a 
dream.  This  condition  arose  from  the  fact 
that  under  the  best  of  weather  luck,  a  show- 
man's hours  are  very  long.  But  when  roads 
were  bad  and  journeys  long,  the  poor  wretch 
attached  to  the  old  wagon  show  had  practically 
no  sleep  at  all.  After  a  stretch  of  hard  travel- 
ing I  was  for  weeks  like  a  person  drugged. 
My  mind  seemed  in  a  state  of  miserable  torpor, 
while  my  body  went  about  in  a  mechanical 
way  and  did  its  work.  The  change  from  a 
regular  life,  which  saw  me  snugly  in  the  same 
86 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  87 

bed  at  nearly  the  same  hour  every  night  of  the 
year,  to  the  painful  excesses  of  a  circus  man's 
hours  told  on  me  very  severely  and  I  was  long 
in  becoming  acclimated. 

At  the  painful  period  of  which  I  speak  my 
main  object  in  life  was  to  sleep.  For  this  I 
lived,  and  my  idea  of  Paradise  then  was  a  con- 
sciousness that  I  was  in  the  act  of  falling 
asleep  in  bed  with  clean  sheets,  and  that  I 
would  not  be  awakened  until  the  end  of 
eternity  unless  I  should  chance  to  get  my  sleep 
out  before  then— and  this  possibility  seemed 
deliciously  remote. 

While  I  suffered  more  keenly  than  the  others 
from  the  tortures  of  longing  for  sleep,  all  the 
men  who  had  anything  whatever  to  do  with 
the  moving  of  the  show  were  under  the  spell 
of  this  dragon.  They,  however,  rallied  more 
quickly  than  I,  when  dry  roads  and  good 
weather  fell  to  our  lot  for  any  length  of  time. 

Well,  weeks  "of  terrible  traveling,  of  getting 
lost,  of  fighting  our  way  through  the  mire  and 
floods,  was  followed  by  a  fortnight  of  fair 
weather.  My  associates  had  "caught  up"  in 
the  matter  of  sleep,  but  I  was  still  in  a  half 
torpid  state  and  thought  only  of  the  blessed 
privilege  of  closing  my  eyes  for  an  hour  or  two 
at  a  stretch. 


88         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

But,  one  morning  as  we  started  north  from 
the  small  Missouri  town  in  which  we  had  given 
a  very  successful  performance,  the  scene  was  so 
novel  and  impressive  that  I  held  out  for  a  few 
minutes  against  the  demon  that  was  pulling 
my  eyelids  together,  and  really  aroused  to  the 
picturesque  features  of  the  scene. 

We  were  winding  our  way  to  the  northward, 
our  caravan  being  fully  a  mile  in  length  and 
stretched  out  like  a  long  serpent.  The  elab- 
orate and  gilded  chariots,  the  piebald  Arabian 
horses,  the  drove  of  shambling  camels  and  the 
huge  swaying  elephants  gave  a  touch  of  genu- 
ine oriental  picturesqueness  to  the  scene 
strangely  out  of  keeping  with  the  wild  western 
landscape  and  surroundings. 

On  every  hand  the  prairies  were  carpeted 
with  wild  flowers  in  the  greatest  variety  and 
profusion.  Their  fragrance  even  reached  me 
as  I  stretched  out  at  full  length  on  the  top  of  a 
lumbering  chariot.  The  almost  endless  vista 
of  prairie,  the  serpent  caravan,  the  gay  colors 
and  the  fragrance  of  the  flowers  all  combined 
to  refresh  and  impress  me,  and  to  give  me 
more  cheer  and  courage  than  hours  of  sleep. 
The  pleasant  picture  haunted  me  after  I  closed 
my  eyes  and  mixed  in  my  dreams  after  I  dozed 
off  into  a  half  conscious  slumber. 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  89 

Later  the  lurch  of  the  wagon  aroused  me, 
and  I  started  up  with  a  sense  of  unaccountable 
alarm.  The  first  object  which  met  my  eyes 
was  a  jackrabbit,  sitting  on  his  haunches  not 
more  than  two  rods  from  the  trail  we  were 
following.  Knowing  the  habitual  timidity  of 
these  creatures  the  boldness  of  this  one  sur- 
prised me  greatly.  He  sat  there  with  his  ears 
cocked  straight  up,  his  nose  working  nervously 
and  his  heart  pounding  so  heavily  that  its  pul- 
sations shook  his  gray  sides.  Not  until  the 
wagon  had  passed  did  the  rabbit  stir.  Then 
he  dropped  upon  all  fours  and  vanished  in  a 
gray  streak  traveling  in  a  line  parallel  with  the 
course  of  the  caravan  and  keeping  only  a  few 
rods  from  our  trail.  While  I  was  still  ponder- 
ing over  the  strange  conduct  of  the  animal  I 
saw  a  "rattler"  emerge  from  the  grass  into  the 
beaten  trail  only  a  few  feet  in  front  of  the  "off 
leader"  of  our  four-horse  team.  Naturally  I 
expected  to  see  the  snake  coil  and  strike  the 
horse,  but  he  did  nothing  of  the  kind — simply 
avoided  the  horse's  hoofs  and  then  slipped  away 
into  the  grass  beyond.  What  was  the  meaning 
of  the  strange  spell  which  seemed  suddenly  to 
have  taken  possession  of  the  wild  animals  and 
reptiles  of  the  plain  through  which  we  were 
traveling?  There  was  no  escape  from  the  con- 


90         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

elusion  that  some  peculiar  influence  had  seized 
upon  them,  blunting  their  ordinary  sense  of 
fear  and  precaution.  Had  I  been  more  ac- 
customed to  prairie  life  I  would  probably  have 
realized  at  once  the  nature  of  the  trouble;  like 
all  of  the  men  on  the  wagon  with  me  I  was  a 
rank  tenderfoot. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  ten  minutes  several 
flocks  of  birds  passed  over  us,  flying  low  but 
very  rapidly.  The  grass  on  both  sides  of  the 
trail  seemed  suddenly  to  swarm  with  animal 
life. 

Before  I  had  arrived  at  any  conclusions  re- 
garding the  peculiar  actions  of  the  prairie 
creatures  the  captive  animals  in  the  darkened 
cages  began  to  show  signs  of  unusual  restless- 
ness. The  lions  and  tigers  began  a  strange 
moaning  unlike  their  ordinary  roars  and  growls. 
From  the  monkey  cages  came  plaintive,  half- 
human  cries.  These  sounds  were  taken  up  by 
all  the  animals  big  and  little.  The  elephants 
trumpeted,  the  camels  screamed,  and  every 
animal  took  part  in  the  weird  chorus,  which 
rapidly  increased  in  volume.  Then  the  air 
seemed  to  take  on  a  hazy  appearance,  partic- 
ularly in  the  direction  from  which  we  had 
come. 

Finally   the    truth    dawned    upon    me — the 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  91 

prairie  was  on  fire !  By  turning  backward  and 
straining  my  eyes  I  fancied  I  could  make  out  a 
cloud  of  smoke  far  in  the  rear  of  the  caravan. 
In  a  few  moments  this  dim  vision  became  clear 
and  tangible.  I  told  my  fears  to  the  driver, 
who  laughed  at  me  for  my  pains.  Then  I 
caught  sight  of  a  man  on  horseback  on  the 
crest  of  rise  in  the  prairie.  He  was  riding 
towards  us  as  fast  as  his  horse  could  carry  him. 
Passing  us  like  a  whirlwind,  he  shouted: 
"Whip  up,  man!  The  prairie's  on  fire!  Move 
for  the  river  straight  ahead ! "  In  a  second  he 
was  gone,  shouting  the  same  word  to  every 
startled  driver  he  passed.  His  approach  had 
been  noted  by  the  boss,  who  was  at  the  head  of 
the  entire  procession.  That  grand  marshal  of 
the  day,  for  that  was  substantially  his  posi- 
tion, came  riding  back  to  meet  the  courier. 
Instantly,  on  learning  the  tidings,  he  wheeled 
about  and  rode  like  the  wind  for  the  chariot  in 
the  lead,  drawn  by  six  splendid  horses  white 
as  milk. 

Sharp  orders  emphasized  by  a  liberal  sprink- 
ling of  profanity  were  sufficient  to  impress  the 
driver  of  the  magnificent  leaders  with  the 
awful  gravity  of  the  situation  and  with  the  fact 
that  he  must  set  the  pace  for  the  remainder  of 
the  caravan.  It  might  be  thought  that  the 


92          SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

greatest  drag  on  the  speed  of  the  terrified  pro- 
cession would  have  been  the  camels  and  ele- 
phants. So  thought  the  boss,  but  no  sooner 
did  the  driver  of  the  elephants  get  into  posi- 
tion on  the  back  of  old  Romeo  and  give  that 
knowing  creature  an  idea  of  what  was  ex- 
pected, than  he  saw  his  mistake. 

The  way  in  which  both  the  elephants  and 
camels  swung  themselves  over  the  ground  was 
a  revelation  to  all  who  saw  them.  Which  was 
the  more  pitiful  and  terrifying,  the  trumpeting 
of  the  elephants  or  the  squealing  of  the  camels, 
was  difficult  to  tell. 

As  the  awful  scroll  of  the  fire  rolled  closer 
upon  us  the  ungainly  bodies  of  the  camels  and 
elephants  swayed  from  one  side  to  the  other 
until  they  seemed  fairly  to  vibrate. 

"Where  is  the  river?  Are  we  nearing  the 
stream?  Can  we  make  the  water?"  These 
were  the  questions  in  the  mind  of  every  person 
in  that  long  wagon  train.  Sometimes  they 
were  yelled  from  one  driver  to  another,  but  the 
only  answer  was  to  lay  the  lash  harder  on  the 
backs  of  the  poor  horses  pulling  the  heavy 
wagons  and  chariots — leaping  and  straining 
like  so  many  modern  fire  department  animals 
responding  to  an  alarm.  It  was  a  genuine 
chariot  race — in  which  the  stake  was  life  and 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  93 

the  fine  death  by  flames.  Nearly  every  vehicle 
was  drawn  by  either  four  or  six  horses,  and  the 
scene  was  one  of  the  grandest  and  most  ter- 
rible that  human  eye  ever  looked  upon. 

Suddenly  I  saw  the  boss  put  his  horse  into 
its  highest  speed,  leading  on  ahead  of  the  six 
whites.  Then  he  leaped  from  the  saddle, 
struck  a  match  to  the  grass,  remounted  and 
rode  back  a  short  distance.  As  each  team 
approached  he  ordered:  "Wait  till  the  flames 
spread  a  little  and  then  break  through  the 
line  of  the  back  fire  I've  started  and  form  a 
circle. ' ' 

The  grass  which  he  had  fired  was  consider- 
ably shorter  than  the  general  growth  of  the 
prairies ;  then,  the  fire  it  made  had  not  acquired 
the  volume,  intensity  and  sweep  of  that  hurri- 
cane of  flame  from  which  we  were  fleeing. 
One  after  another  of  the  teams  reared,  pitched 
and  plunged,  only  to  find  that  the  back  fire  had 
gone  under  their  feet  leaving  them  inside  a 
charred,  blackened  circle  fringed  with  flame. 

No  sound  I  have  ever  heard  approached  in 
abject  terror  the  awful  symphony  of  roars, 
growls,  screams,  wails  and  screeches  that  went 
up  from  the  maddened  beasts  in  that  caravan 
as  the  great  sky-reaching  cylinder  of  flame  and 
smoke  rolled  down  upon  us  and  was  met  barely 


94         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

forty  rods  away  by  the  rapidly  spreading  line 
of  our  own  back  fire. 

Just  as  we  were  wondering  if  our  next  breath 
would  be  flame  or  air,  the  leaders  of  the  white 
chariot  horses  leaped  into  the  air  like  rockets. 
Instantly  the  whole  six  stallions  became  ab- 
solutely crazed  with  fear  and  made  a  plunge 
directly  for  the  oncoming  storm  of  fire  and 
smoke.  On  toward  the  furnace  of  fire  they 
ran,  the  driver  tugging  with  might  and  main 
on  the  reins. 

"Jump!"  yelled  the  boss.  And  jump  the 
driver  did.  He  was  not  a  second  too  soon,  for 
an  instant  later  the  white  charioteers  had  dis- 
appeared under  the  great  red  and  black  barrel 
that  was  rolling  upon  us.  Then  came  a  mo- 
ment which  was  a  dizzy  blank  to  most  of  us,  I 
guess.  The  fearful  strain  of  the  long  race,  the 
moments  of  awful  suspense  after  the  charred 
ground  had  been  reached — it  was  enough  to 
have  dethroned  the  reason  of  every  man  and 
woman  in  the  charmed  circle !  Small  wonder 
that  a  few  fainted  dead  away  and  the  rest  of  us 
were  stunned  into  momentary  confusion. 

But  we  had  scarcely  recovered  the  use  of  our 
faculties  when  the  wag  of  the  circus  broke  the 
long  strain  of  the  flight  and  escape  by  the  re- 
mark: "I  reckon  there's  been  more  genuine 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  95 

praying  done  in  circus  circles  in  the  last  hour 
than  since  Noah  let  the  elephants  out  of  the 
Ark!"  The  truthfulness  of  the  remark  hit 
home  to  every  one  in  the  whole  group.  Prob- 
ably there  was  not  a  choicer  collection  of 
"unbelievers"  on  the  face  of  the  civilized  earth 
than  our  company  contained — yet  only  a  few 
moments  before  every  man,  woman  and  child 
had  been  praying  for  dear  life-r-some  fairly 
shouting  their  supplications,  others  kneeling 
quietly  in  the  wagons,  and  still  others  mum- 
bling their  petitions  as  they  helped  to  hold  the 
horses  in  check  or  performed  some  other 
imperative  duty.  But  there  was  not  a  single 
individual  in  the  whole  wagon  train  who  had 
not,  under  the  awful  pressure  of  the  trial 
through  which  we  passed,  put  up  some  kind  of 
a  petition  to  the  Almighty  for  deliverance 
from  the  devouring  flames. 

One  of  the  first  things  we  did,  when  the 
burning  ground  became  cool  enough,  after  the 
tornado  of  fire  had  swept  around  our  little  oasis 
of  burned  ground  and  passed  on  towards  the 
river,  was  to  go  out  and  look  for  the  remains 
of  the  chariot  and  the  six  white  stallions.  We 
had  not  far  to  go  before  we  came  to  a  heap  of 
wheel  tires  and  other  ironwork  from  the  big 
vehicle.  A  little  beyond  it  were  the  blackened 


96         SAWDUST. AND  SPANGLES 

remains  of  the  splendid  horses  which  had 
dashed  into  an  unnecessary  death.  These  ani- 
mals had  been  the  pride  of  the  show,  and  there 
was  scarcely  a  man  connected  with  the  eques- 
trian department  of  the  circus  who  did  not 
deeply  lament  the  loss  of  the  noble  creatures. 
As  for  myself,  I  could  hardly  keep  back  the 
tears,  for  my  fondness  for  the  beautiful,  intel- 
ligent horses  amounted  to  a  passion. 

Slowly  we  made  our  way  to  the  river.  On 
the  other  bank  were  gathered  the  inhabitants  of 
the  prairies  who  had  been  fortunate  enough  to 
reach  this  refuge.  They  had  immediately 
extinguished  the  fires  started  on  the  far  side  of 
the  river  by  the  sparks  which  the  wind  carried 
across  the  stream.  Some  of  them  were  almost 
raving  with  grief  over  the  fate  which  they 
firmly  believed  had  overtaken  their  relatives 
and  friends,  while  others  put  their  whole 
energies  into  caring  for  all  who  needed  help — 
thus  forgetting  their  own  distress  and  afflictions 
in  ministering  to  others. 

A  CHANCE  MEETING  WITH  A  GREAT  MAN 

After  relating  one  of  the  most  stirring  and 
tragic  episodes  of  my  life  as  a  showman,  my 
thought  turns  instinctively  to  the  other  ex- 
treme— to  an  experience  quite  as  typical  of 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  97 

the  wandering  existence  of  the  pioneer  show- 
man of  the  old  wagon  days.  I  refer  to  a 
chance  meeting  with  one  of  the  greatest  men 
who  helped  to  make  the  history  of  the  United 
States,  a  splendid,  picturesque  giant  of  the 
pioneer  type  whose  life  was  an  unbroken 
romance.  It  may  be  asked,  What  has  this 
kind  of  thing  to  do  with  circus  life?  I  answer: 
Everything!  Much  of  the  success  which  I 
have  achieved  in  this  peculiar  field  of  effort  I 
owe  to  the  contact  with  men  of  large  capacity 
with  whom  I  chanced  to  "fall  in,"  as  it  were, 
while  on  the  road.  These  meetings  were  as 
bread  to  my  mind.  They  made  the  bright 
spots  in  my  life,  and,  from  the  very  beginning 
of  my  career,  gave  me  the  inspiration  which 
helped  me  to  see  things  in  a  larger  way,  to 
persevere  in  the  face  of  all  obstacles  and  to 
take  advantage  of  every  opportunity.  Of  the 
hundreds  of  experiences  in  this  line,  no  other 
approached  in  romantic  interest  that  which 
came  to  me  very  early  in  my  southwestern 
tour. 

I  was  then  a  young  man  and  was  traveling 
in  Louisiana.  I  put  up  at  a  hotel  in  a  rather 
small  town,  where  hotels  were  as  rare  as  other 
evidences  of  civilization.  I  had  just  gone  to 
my  room  on  the  night  succeeding  my  arrival 


98         SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

when  I  was  honored  with  a  call  from  the  land- 
lord. 

"Mr.  Coup,"  he  said,  "there'll  be  another 
feller  up  to  bunk  with  you  in  a  few  minutes. 
You'd  better  wait  up  and  arrange  with  him 
about  the  side  of  the  bed  you  are  to  sleep  on. 
If  he  walks  in  and  finds  you  sleepin'  on  his 
side,  there  might  be  a  coolness  spring  up  be- 
tween you." 

At  that  time  I  was  a  stranger  to  southern 
customs,  and  their  manner  of  doing  things 
struck  me  as  being  a  trifle  irregular.  How- 
ever, I  offered  no  objection.  It  has  always 
been  a  rule  with  me  to  maintain  the  silence 
which  is  said  to  be  golden  when  I  am  among 
strangers  in  a  strange  land.  I  afterwards  dis- 
covered that  it  was  customary  for  this  landlord 
to  put  as  many  as  three  in  one  bed  when  he  hap- 
pened to  be  cramped  for  room.  In  about  ten  min- 
utes my  bedfellow  came  up.  He  was  an  elderly 
man  with  eyes  which  seemed  to  pierce  one. 

His  bedroom  candle  lighted  up  a  face  which 
I  have  never  since  been  able  to  eradicate  from 
my  memory.  It  was  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing faces  it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to 
gaze  upon.  When  he  smiled,  I  was  somehow 
irresistibly  drawn  towards  him.  It  was  the 
saddest,  tenderest,  sweetest  smile  that  I  have 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  99 

ever  seen  upon  a  man's  face.  He  spoke  to  me 
kindly  as  he  placed  his  candle  upon  the  little 
table,  then  drew  his  chair  up  close  beside  me 
in  front  of  the  open,  wood  fire.  Twenty  min- 
utes afterward  I  could  have  sworn  that  I  had 
known  the  man  all  my  life.  He  was  a  brilliant 
talker;  and  his  stock  of  knowledge  regarding 
men  and  affairs  of  that  day  seemed  to  be  inex- 
haustible. 

"By  the  way,"  I  said,  after  we  had  talked 
well  into  the  night,  "I  see  Gen.  Sam  Houston 
is  billed  to  speak  here  to-morrow  night.  I 
shall  certainly  go  to  hear  him. ' '  He  glanced 
up  at  me  quickly. 

"Are  you  an  admirer  of  him?"  he  asked. 

"I  will  answer  that  question  by  saying  both 
yes  and  no,"  I  replied.  "I  greatly  admire  him 
for  his  sturdy  independence,  his  political 
ability,  and  his  apparent  hatred  for  all  shams. 
But  there  seems  to  be  another  side  to  his  char- 
acter which  I  do  not  admire.  The  manner  in 
which  he  deserted  his  Cherokee  wife  after  he 
had  left  the  nation  and  returned  to  civilization, 
I  regard  as  wholly  contemptible.  Do  you 
know  him?" 

"I  have  seen  him,"  he  replied,  quietly,  smil- 
ing the  sad  smile  which  had  before  struck  me 
so  forcibly. 


ioo       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

"Well,  don't  you  agree  with  me?"  I  asked. 

"Before  I  reply  to  that  question  I  would  like 
to  tell  you  a  little  story,"  my  roommate  re- 
plied, and  it  seemed  to  me  that  his  voice 
trembled  a  little. 

"I  once  knew  a  man  who  held  a  prominent 
office  in  the  State  of  Tennessee.  He  was  a 
young  man  then — not  older  than  yourself,  and 
with  just  as  quick  a  tongue  when  it  came  to 
condemning  all  sorts  of  wrong  and  injustice. 
His  position  gave  him  admission  to  the  best 
social  circles,  and  he  wooed  and  married  a 
beautiful  girl.  On  his  part  it  was  wholly  a 
love  match.  He  worshiped  her  as  he  had 
never  before  worshiped  anything  on  earth. 
For  a  time  he  was  happy — after  the  manner  of 
men  who  place  their  entire  lives  in  the  hands 
of  one  woman.  By  and  by  he  noticed  that  his 
beautiful  young  wife  was  growing  dejected  and 
unhappy.  Often,  when  he  spoke  to  her  in 
terms  of  endearment  when  they  were  alone, 
she  would  burst  into  tears,  tear  herself  out  of 
his  arms  and  escape  from  the  room.  On  one 
of  these  occasions  he  followed  her  to  her  room 
and  insisted  upon  an  explanation.  At  first  she 
refused,  but  finally  yielded,  telling  him  a  story 
which  crushed  him  to  the  very  dust.  She  said 
she  had  never  loved  him,  but  had  been  per- 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  101 

suaded  by  friends  to  marry  him  on  account  of 
his  position.  She  told  him  more  than  that. 
She  told  him  that  long  before  the  marriage 
occurred  she  had  loved  another  man. 

"That  night  the  husband  left  his  home  and 
his  high  official  position  and  disappeared. 
Shaving  the  hair  from  his  head  and  tearing  the 
broadcloth  garments  into  shreds,  he  donned  the 
scanty  apparel  of  the  savage  and  became  a 
member  of  the  Cherokee  nation.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  tribe  treated  him  with  the  greatest 
consideration  and  respect,  and  he  became  a 
sort  of  oracle  among  them.  In  time  he  mar- 
ried an  Indian  maiden,  thereby  widening  the 
breach  between  himself  and  the  past.  After  a 
number  of  years  had  passed,  however,  he  grew 
weary  of  savagery  and  his  mind  often  reverted 
to  the  life  which  had  been  his  before  his  great 
trouble  came  upon  him.  Finally  he  bade  his 
wife  and  her  untutored  friends  a  temporary 
farewell  and  drifted  into  Texas.  Here  he  soon 
rose  to  recognition,  and  in  a  comparatively 
brief  space  of  time  once  more  held  an  impor- 
tant official  position.  But  he  had  not  deserted 
his  Indian  wife.  On  several  occasions  he 
returned  to  the  tribe  to  see  her  and  tried  to 
induce  her  to  return  with  him  to  civilization. 
But  the  poor,  untutored  Indian  squaw  was  a 


102        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

thousand  times  nobler  than  the  beautiful 
society  woman  who  had  ruined  his  life  in  early 
manhood.  She  loved  him  passionately,  but 
positively  refused  to  accede  to  his  requests. 
'  I  would  only  disgrace  you, '  she  said.  '  I  am 
not  fit  to  go  out  into  your  world. '  Finally  the 
husband  returned  without  her — very  much 
against  his  wishes,  remember — and  a  few 
months  later  word  reached  him  that  his  Indian 
wife  was  dead.  She  had  loved  him  too  well  to 
accompany  him  into  his  changed  life  for  fear 
of  disgracing  him,  and  had  loved  him  too  well 
to  wish  to  live  without  him.  She  was  found, 
said  the  messenger,  at  the  bottom  of  a  cliff,  and 
the  manner  of  her  death  was  only  too  apparent. 
The  white  wife  represented  what  is  popularly 
called  the  highest  type  of  civilization  and  social 
culture — the  poor  Indian  girl  what  is  best 
known  by  the  name  of  savagery.  That,  young 
man,  is  how  General  Houston  came  to  desert 
his  Indian  bride. ' ' 

I  had  been  deeply  interested  in  the  old  man's 
story,  and  when  he  had  finished  I  thought  that 
his  keen  eyes  were  filled  with  tears  as  he  sat 
gazing  into  the  dying  embers  of  our  fire.  I 
hastened  to  assure  him  that  I  was  glad  to  be 
set  right  regarding  General  Houston's  char- 
acter. "I  shall  listen  to  his  speech  with  re- 


THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE  103 

newed  interest  to-morrow  night,"  I  said. 
"You  must  have  known  him  well?" 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "I  have  seen  a  good 
deal  of  him.  But,  my  young  friend,  don't  let 
your  enthusiasm  run  away  with  your  discre- 
tion. General  Houston  has  his  faults  like  the 
rest  of  the  world — plenty  of  them." 

' '  By  the  way, ' '  I  said,  as  we  pushed  back  our 
chairs  and  prepared  for  bed,  "I  believe  you 
have  omitted  telling  me  your  name.  I  have 
spent  such  a  pleasant  evening  that  I  "Would 
really  like  to  know  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for 
it." 

"Ah,"  he  said,  with  the  same  smile,  "I  be- 
lieve I  did  omit  that  little  formality.  My 
name  is  Sam  Houston." 

We  did  not  quarrel  regarding  the  side  of  the 
bed  he  was  to  occupy.  General  Houston  could 
have  had  both  sides  had  he  expressed  a  wish 
for  them. 


VI 

BOOMING  THE   BIG   SHOW 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  to  the  public, 
but  it  is  a  fact,  that  nearly  one-half  of  the 
entire  expenditure  of  a  circus  is  incurred  in 
the  work  of  the  advance  brigades.  The  adver- 
tising material,  its  distribution,  express,  freight 
and  cartage,  together  with  the  salaries,  trans- 
portation and  living  expenses  of  seventy-five  to 
one  hundred  men,  amount  to  vast  sums  of 
money.  The  largest  number  of  men  I  ever 
used  in  advance  of  my  show  was  seventy-five, 
and  for  this  people  called  me  crazy. 

Though,  of  course,  there  is  a  limit  to  pos- 
sible receipts,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  busi- 
ness secured  is  in  proportion  to  the  sum  used  in 
advertising,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  draw 
the  line  at  which  judicious  advertising  should 
stop.  This  is  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that 
the  dressing-room  tents  of  the  present  day  are 
larger  than  were  the  entire  old-time  circus 
canvases,  when  the  advertising  was  done  by 
one  man  on  horseback  and  all  the  paper  used 
104 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW        105 

was  carried  in  his  saddle-bags,  and  the  salary 
of  any  star  advertiser  now  is  as  much  as  was 
required  to  run  the  entire  show  of  years  ago. 

NOVEL    ADVERTISING    FEATURES 

I  early  learned,  by  experience,  that  big  re- 
ceipts at  the  ticket  wagon  followed  big  adver- 
tising expenditures.  In  1880,  in  order  to  boom 
the  "Newly  United  Monster  Shows,"  I  ar- 
ranged some  very  peculiar  and  novel  adver- 
tising features  in  the  way  of  three  cars 
especially  fitted  out  for  the  use  of  my  advance 
agents.  The  first  brigade  was  accompanied 
by  an  enormous  organ,  for  which  a  car  was 
built,  the  latter  being  drawn  through  the 
streets  by  an  elephant.  This  organ  was  a 
masterpiece  of  mechanism  and  was  specially 
built  by  Professor  Jukes.  Its  tones  resembled 
the  music  of  a  brass  band  and  could  be  heard 
at  a  great  distance.  This,  of  course,  attracted 
the  people,  and  the  brigade  would  then  adver- 
tise the  show  by  a  lavish  distribution  of  hand- 
bills. 

Unfortunately  the  elephant  and  the  music 
combined  to  frighten  many  horses,  and  I  soon 
found  myself  defendant  in  numerous  damage 
suits.  Indeed,  that  single  elephant  seemed  to 


io6       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

frighten  more  horses  than  did  the  entire  herd 
with  the  show. 

At  one  place  temporary  quarters  for  the  ele- 
phant were  secured  in  a  stable  which  could  be 
reached  only  through  a  private  alley.  When 
we  came  to  take  possession  of  the  barn,  the 
owner  of  the  alley,  with  several  policemen, 
stood  on  guard  and  undertook  to  stop  the 
progress  of  the  huge  animal.  Their  efforts, 
however,  met  with  no  success,  for,  with  the 
most  sublime  indifference,  the  beast  moved 
quietly  forward.  For  this  I  was  sued  for 
"trespass"  and  "injured  feelings."  As  the 
elephant  was  the  offender,  my  lawyer  proposed 
to  bring  him  into  court  as  the  principal  wit- 
ness, a  proposition  which  caused  considerable 
amusement.  As  no  damage  had  been  done, 
the  "laugh"  was  decidedly  on  the  owner  of  the 
alley. 

THE  "DEVIL'S  WHISTLE" 

My  second  advertising  car  was  fitted  up  with 
another  enormous  organ  of  far-reaching  power, 
and  attracted  much  attention,  while  my  third 
and  last  advertising  brigade  rejoiced  in  the 
possession  of  an  engine  to  which  was  attached 
a  steam  whistle  of  such  power  and  discordant 
tone  that  it  could  be  heard  for  miles.  This 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW        107 

the  men  would  blow  while  going  through  the 
country.  Professor  Jukes  had  christened  this 
diabolical  invention  the  "Devil's  Whistle,"  and 
so  well  did  its  sound  fit  the  name  that  the 
people  must  have  frequently  thought  His 
Satanic  Majesty  was  near  by. 

As  that  car  with  its  whistle  would  steam  into 
a  town,  the  inhabitants  would  flock  as  one  man 
to  see  what  it  was  that  had  so  disturbed  their 
peace,  and  thus  we  were  enabled  to  advertise 
more  thoroughly  than  any  show  before  or 
since.  I  have  often  thought  that  I  really  de- 
served punishment  for  thus  outraging  the  pub- 
lic ear. 

Between  these  three  advertising  brigades  I 
had  smaller  companies,  accompanied  by  a  col- 
ored brass  band,  which  discoursed  pleasant 
music  while  my  bill  posters  decorated  the  dead 
walls  and  boards.  The  band  also  gave  con- 
certs at  night  upon  the  public  square  and,  be- 
tween pieces,  a  good  speaker  would  draw 
attention  to  the  excellences  of  the  coming 
show. 

A  uniformed  brigade  of  trumpeters  was  also 
sent  through  the  country  on  horseback,  and  a 
band  of  Jubilee  singers  marched  through  the 
streets  singing  the  praises  of  the  "Newly 
United  Shows."  Added  to  these  attractions 


SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

were  two  stereopticons  that  pictured,  from 
some  house-top  or  window,  the  main  features 
of  the  show.  This,  together  with  perhaps  the 
most  liberal  newspaper  advertising  that  ever 
had  been  done,  made  the  whole  advance  work 
as  near  absolute  perfection  in  show  advertising 
as  possible. 

One  of  the  picturesque  features  with  the 
advance  show  was  Gilmore's  "Jubilee  Anvil 
Chorus. ' '  The  anvils  were  made  of  wood  with 
a  piece  of  toned  steel  fastened  at  the  top  in  a 
manner  which  secured  a  volume  and  resonance 
of  tone  that  could  be  heard  much  further  than 
that  of  an  ordinary  anvil.  At  intervals,  to 
strengthen  the  chorus,  cannon  were  fired  off. 
This,  though  a  great  novelty,  caused  some  dis- 
satisfaction, especially  amid  crowded  surround- 
ings. My  excuse  was  that  the  chorus  was  a 
free  feature  furnished  by  my  friend  Gilmore, 
and  that,  as  it  cost  the  public  nothing,  the 
latter  should  be  satisfied.  Never  before  nor 
since  waJ^i  country  so  startled  and  excited 
over  the  coming  of  a  show. 

"SPOTTERS" 

A  great  circus  uses  large  quantities  of  adver- 
tising paper — so  much,  in  fact,  that  it  is 
difficult  to  keep  track  of  it.  True,  the  super- 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW         109 

intendent  of  the  advertising  car  gives  each  man 
so  many  "sheets"  in  the  morning  and  the  man 
at  night  hands  in  a  statement  which  is  sup- 
posed to  show  where  and  how  he  has  placed 
the  paper.  These  brigades  are  followed  by 
"watchers,"  or,  as  the  railroad  men  term 
them,  "spotters,"  who  look  carefully  over  the 
ground.  But  the  impossibility  of  detecting  all 
crooked  work  may  be  readily  understood  when 
I  say  that  from  eight  to  twelve  wagons  con- 
taining bill-posters  and  paper  start  out  on 
country  routes  in  as  many  different  directions, 
so  the  "spotter,"  not  being  ubiquitous,  cannot 
follow  every  trail.  One  of  my  "spotters," 
however,  did  once  ascertain  that  a  party  of  rriy 
men  had*driven  into  the  country  and  dozed 
comfortably  in  the  shade  all  day,  had  not  put 
up  any  paper  and  had  not  fed  the  hired  horses, 
although  they  did  not  forget  to  charge  for  the 
"feeds. "  The  horses  were  thus  made  to  suffer 
and  the  men  pocketed  the  money  which  should 
have  gone  for  oats.  Of  course  mppfeuperin- 
tendent  discharged  the  entire  brigade,  al- 
though, when  the  season  is  well  under  way,  it 
is  very  difficult  to  obtain  skilled  bill-posters, 
for  it  is  quite  a  difficult  craft  and  experts  are 
in  good  demand. 

The  reader,  however,  can  easily  see  what  a 


no        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

great  loss  such  doings  entail  on  a  show,  con- 
sidering the  cost  of  the  paper  at  the  printer's, 
the  freight  or  expressage,  the  cartage,  and  the 
money  paid  the  men  for  putting  up  the  sheets 
The  printing  bills  of  a  first-class  show  are 
enormous.  My  lithograph  bill  alone,  the  last 
successful  season  of  my  show,  amounted  to 
$40,000,  and  this  was  before  the  days  of  ex- 
tensive lithographing.  I  believe  I  ordered  the 
first  three-sheet  lithograph  ever  made,  and  also 
the  first  ten-sheet  lithograph.  This  was  con- 
sidered a  piece  of  foolishness;  but  when  I 
ordered  a  hundred-sheet  bill  and  first  used  it 
in  Brooklyn  it  was  considered  such  a  curiosity 
that  show  people  visited  the  City  of  Churches  for 
the  express  purpose  of  looking  at  this  advertis- 
ing marvel.  How  things  have  changed !  The 
Barnum  and  one  or  two  other  shows  now  use 
nothing  but  lithographs,  and  many  of  their 
bills  are  beautiful  works  of  art,  some  of  them 
being  copies  of  really  great  pictures. 

I  can  remember  when  one-sheet  lithographs 
cost  one  dollar  each,  and  for  several  years  later 
they  could  not  be  bought  for  less  than  fifty  to 
seventy-five  cents  apiece.  They  can  be  had 
now  in  large  quantities  for  about  five  cents  or 
less  the  sheet.  As  shows  nowadays  frequently 
use  hundreds  of  sheets  in  a  day,  imagine  what 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW         m 

would  be  their  cost  at  the  price  paid  in  the 
pioneer  show  period. 

The  circus  of  the  present  day  is  judged  by 
the  quality  of  its  paper.  One  season  I  ar- 
ranged with  a  publisher  to  use  a  folded  quarter 
sheet,  three  sides  of  which  advertised  our  show 
and  the  fourth  side  contained  the  first  chapter 
of  a  story  about  to  be  published  in  his  maga- 
zine. These  were  furnished  to  us  in  enormous 
quantities  and  our  agents  distributed  them. 
In  Boston  we  had  four  four-horse  wagons  full 
and  these  followed  our  parade.  The  men 
tossed  the  folders  high  in  the  air  and  the  wind 
carried  them  in  all  directions.  While  this 
style  of  advertising  surprised  the  people,  it  was 
soon  stopped,  and  properly,  too,  by  city 
ordinance.  I  think  circus  people  would  be 
better  off  if  ordinances  were  passed  wholly 
prohibiting  bill  posting;  but  unfortunately 
such  a  movement  would  go  far  toward  break- 
ing up  a  profitable  industry,  since  many  of  the 
bill  posters  are  rich  men,  some  making  as 
much  as  $25,000  a  year  and  a  few  fully  $50,- 
ooo.  I  believe  Mr.  Seth  B.  Howes,  the  vet- 
eran circus  manager,  was  the  first  one  to  order 
a  billboard  made  or  paste  paper  on  the  outside. 
Previous  to  this  all  bills  were  hung  or  fastened 
up  with  tacks. 


SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 


RIVALRY  IN  EXPLOITING  OPPOSITION  SHOWS 

There  was  always  a  sharp  rivalry  between 
the  advance  brigades  of  opposition  shows,  and 
many  are  the  tricks  which  they  play  upon  each 
other.  Perhaps  the  most  serious  and  daring 
trick  played  on  me  was  when  the  agent  of  an 
opposition  show  actually  went  to  the  rail- 
road office  and  ordered  a  carload  of  my 
paper,  which  was  on  the  sidetrack  there  wait- 
ing for  our  man,  to  be  shipped  to  California. 
Believing  him  to  be  representing  me,  the 
freight  agent  did  as  requested,  and  my  advance 
brigade  was  delayed  until  a  fresh  carload  could 
be  sent  on  from  New  York,  which  could  be 
done  in  less  time  than  it  would  have  taken  to 
have  brought  the  original  carload  back  from 
San  Francisco.  After  accomplishing  this  con- 
temptible trick  the  fellow  escaped,  and,  al- 
though I  had  Pinkerton  men  closely  on  his 
trail,  I  was  never  able  to  get  service  on  him. 
Of  course  the  scamp's  employers  were  legally 
responsible;  but  in  those  days  we  never 
thought  of  bringing  suit  in  cases  of  that  kind, 
although  I  was  strongly  tempted  to  do  so  in 
one  place,  where  an  opposition  show  had  cov- 
ered my  dates  with  their  own  and  had  greatly 
damaged  us  by  misleading  the  people. 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW        113 

Of  the  many  other  sharp  tricks  played  on  me 
by  opposition  shows,  one  of  the  best,  or  worst, 
was  that  of  equipping  men  with  sample  cases, 
and  sending  them  in  advance  of  my  show  in 
the  r61e  of  commercial  salesmen.  These  men 
would  step  into  prominent  stores  and,  after  a 
short  business  talk,  incidentally  mention  my 
name  and  then  impart  the  information  that  my 
show  had  disbanded  and  gone  to  pieces. 
This,  of  course,  would  set  the  whole  town  talk- 
ing, and  the  news  would  soon  spread  over  the 
entire  country,  thus  doing  me  irreparable 
harm. 

COSTLY    RIVALRY 

The  general  public  has  very  little  idea  of  the 
extent  to  which  opposition  tactics  are  carried 
by  the  representatives  of  circuses  and  menag- 
eries. The  rivalry  between  two  shows  often 
costs  thousands  of  dollars  and  is  sometimes 
kept  up  by  the  agents  long  after  the  proprietors 
have  become  reconciled.  Once  we  became 
involved  in  one  of  these  contests,  and  the  op- 
position, in  order  to  harass  us,  actually  had 
four  of  our  men  arrested  in  different  States  on 
a  charge  of  libel.  The  Indiana  libel  laws  were 
very  severe,  and  in  each  instance  we  were  com- 


ii4        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

pelled  to  give  a  heavy  bond  for  the  release  of 
our  man. 

That  year  the  train  of  a  rival  outfit  ran  off 
the  track,  and  one  of  the  proprietors,  in  the 
course  of  time,  became  my  agent.  One  day, 
in  a  confidential  chat,  he  alluded  to  the  mishap, 
and  told  me  that  at  the  time  it  occurred  he 
fully  intended  accusing  us  of  having  had  the 
switches  turned,  thus  causing  the  disaster. 
To  that  end  he  had  even  gone  to  the  length  of 
swearing  out  warrants  for  our  arrest.  They 
knew  that  we  were  perfectly  innocent,  but 
their  object  was  to  gain  notoriety  and  sym- 
pathy. At  the  last  moment,  it  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed, their  better  natures  asserted  themselves ; 
at  all  events,  they  weakened. 

Another  party  in  opposition  warfare  copied 
our  money  orders.  Orders  of  this  kind  were 
given  by  our  agents  and  paid  by  our  treasurer 
on  arrival  of  the  show.  They  were  given  for 
services  rendered  or  goods  bought,  and  cov- 
ered the  expenses  of  livery  teams,  distributing 
bills,  flour,  feed,  advance  brigade  supplies, 
newspaper  advertising,  etc.  They  were  made 
out  something  after  this  style : 

"On  presentation  of  this  order  and  ten 
issues  of  Newspaper,  containing  adver- 


'  WHEN  RIVAL  SHOWMEN  BURNED  A  BRIDGE  TO  PREVENT 
THEIR  KEEPING  A  DATE." 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW         115 

tisements  of    the   Coup    Show  to   exhibit   at 

on  the  day  of  pay  Mr. 

$ .  amount  due  him. 

"(Signed) ,  Agent." 

These  orders  were  extensively  used  by  the 
opposition  for  some  time  before  we  discovered 
it.  Its  object,  of  course,  was  to  make  the 
newspaper  proprietors  and  the  public  think 
they  were  advertising  the  Coup  show,  while  of 
course  their  own  dates  would  be  inserted  in- 
stead of  ours. 

At  a  certain  place  in  Ohio  a  bridge  was 
burned  in  advance  of  us  and  entailed  the  loss 
of  our  next  "stand,"  or  date.  We  could  not 
safely  accuse  any  of  our  competitors  of  this 
contemptible  and  incendiary  trick;  but  we 
knew  they  were  driven  to  desperation  and  were 
capable  of  resorting  to  any  such  outrage. 

There  were  agents  so  utterly  unscrupulous 
as  to  receive  pay  from  opposition  shows  for 
disclosing  to  them  information  that  should 
have  been  jealously  guarded,  even  betraying 
the  advance  route.  I  knew  one  agent  who  was 
an  expert  telegraph  operator  and  able  to  take 
messages  by  sound.  He  would  scrape  ac- 
quaintance with  the  regular  operator  and  pass 
his  spare  time  in  the  telegraph  office  secretly 
taking  our  messages  as  the  latter  were  being 


n6       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

sent  over  the  wire,  the  local  operator  being 
ignorant  of  the  loafer's  telegraphic  skill. 

IDLE    BILL    POSTERS 

These  opposition  fights  greatly  benefited  the 
local  bill  posters  and  were  frequently  urged  on 
by  them.  Sometimes  a  show  would  send  a 
brigade  over  the  country  at  night,  placing  its 
own  dates  on  the  paper  of  its  rival,  thus  get- 
ting all  the  advantages  of  the  first  show's 
paper.  Sometimes  the  indolence  and  laziness 
of  my  own  men  have  annoyed  me  greatly.  I 
am  reminded  that,  while  my  advance  brigade 
was  billing  Texas,  one  of  my  agents  became 
utterly  disgusted  with  the  sleepiness  of  his 
men.  They  were  mainly  of  corpulent  build, 
and  their  captain  actually  sent  me  this  mes- 
sage: 

"Wxco,  Texas,  July,  1881. 
"W.  C.  COUP, 

"Sturtevant  House,  New  York  City: 
"There  is  one  more  shade  tree  in  Texas; 
send  another  fat  man  to  sit  under  it." 

On  numerous  occasions  I  have  had  to  pay 
dearly  as  a  result  of  the  sharp  practices  of  un- 
scrupulous people,  and  it  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  a  circus  man  has  to  deal  with  a  great 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW        117 

many  of  this  class.  Our  advance  agent  always 
engaged  the  lots  on  which  we  were  to  exhibit, 
and  he  did  so  at  Austin,  Texas,  renting  the 
necessary  ground  at  a  most  exorbitant  figure. 
As  usual,  he  gave  an  order  on  the  company 
which  was  to  be  paid  immediately  on  our 
arrival.  But  the  owner,  or  pretended  owner, 
inserted  a  clause  in  the  agreement  that  the  lots 
were  to  be  used  if  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
signer.  Immediately  on  our  arrival  the  bill 
was  presented,  and  as  promptly  paid.  Imag- 
ine my  surprise  when,  as  the  show  opened  at 
night,  another  bill  was  presented  for  $150.  It 
seems  that  this  sharper  had  made  a  fradulent 
sale  of  one  of  the  center  lots  on  purpose  to 
swindle  me.  Of  course  I  paid  it,  under  pro- 
test, in  order  to  enable  the  performance  to  pro- 
ceed, as,  anticipating  a  refusal  on  my  part,  they 
had  illegally  attached  some  valuable  ring  stock. 
Some  years  ago  when  George  Peck  was 
struggling  with  Peck's  Sun,  long  before  it  had 
been  recognized  as  a  "leading  comic  paper,"  I 
visited  Milwaukee  with  my  show.  My  invari- 
able instructions  to  my  agents  were  to  adver- 
tise in  every  paper,  but  especially  to  place  an 
extra  advertisement  in  all  young  papers  strug- 
gling for  recognition,  provided,  of  course,  that 
they  had  merit.  For  some  reason,  or  through 


n8       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

oversight,  George  Peck's  Sun  had  been  entirely 
forgotten.  Nevertheless,  I  found  on  reaching 
Milwaukee  that  Peck  had,  on  several  occa- 
sions, good-humoredly  alluded  in  his  columns  to 
my  coming,  and  had  not  "roasted"  me,  as 
many  other  editors  so  slighted  would  have 
done.  Accordingly  I  sent  him  a  check  which 
would  have  more  than  paid  for  the  advertising 
he  should  have  had  but  did  not  get.  To  my 
surprise  he  returned  the  check,  saying  I  owed 
him  nothing.  I  declined  to  receive  it,  and 
once  more  sent  it  to  him,  telling  him  not  to 
come  any  of  his  "funny  business  over  me," 
and  to  reserve  his  jokes  for  his  paper.  This 
brought  him  around  to  my  hotel,  and  I  was 
delighted  to  become  acquainted  with  one  of 
the  cleverest  men  I  have  ever  met.  Later' he 
became  Governor  of  his  State. 

COURTESY    OF    EDITORS 

As  an  example  of  the  courteous  treatment  I 
have  invariably  received  at  the  hands  of  the 
newspaper  editors  I  cannot  refrain  from  giving 
the  following  incident  which  occurred  when 
the  show  was  in  North  Carolina.  In  a  town  in 
that  State  one  paper,  through  an  oversight, 
had  been  skipped  altogether  in  the  distribution 
of  the  advertising.  When  the  second  brigade 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW        119 

of  the  advertising  army  arrived  in  town,  it 
found  that  the  issue  of  this  paper  had  already 
been  mailed  to  its  subscribers.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  this  agent  arranged  with 
the  publishers  for  a  special  issue  which,  teem- 
ing with  praises  of  the  Coup  show,  was  issued 
and  mailed  to  all  subscribers.  As  a  result  ex- 
cellent houses  greeted  us  when  we  exhibited  in 
the  place. 

The  rivalry  between  the  great  shows  ex- 
tended to  the  newspaper  advertising  as  well  as 
bill-posting  department.  I  remember  that 
once,  at  Pittsburg,  the  opposition  was  very 
strong,  and  I  had  as  press  agent  a  brother  of 
the  man  who  held  the  same  position  in  the 
employ  of  my  rival.  They  were  both  excellent 
newspaper  men  and  thoroughly  understood 
their  business.  We  would  take  whole  columns 
in  the  newspapers,  and  my  men  with  the  show 
would  telegraph  to  the  papers  at  Pittsburg 
after  this  manner : 

"WlLKESBARRE,    Pa. 

"The  W.  C.  Coup  show  did  a  tremendous 
business  here  to-day;  the  largest  and  best 
show  ever  seen  here. ' ' 

These  telegrams  would  be  used  to  head  our 
other  notices  in  the  Pittsburg  papers,  and  whole 


120       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

columns  would  follow,  setting  forth  the  merits 
of  the  show.  With  more  solid  indorsements 
these  telegrams  so  worried  my  agent's  brother 
that  he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  overcome 
them.  He  finally  hit  upon  a  novel  and  dash- 
ing plan.  After  our  columns  had  been  set  up 
in  the  various  papers,  he  would  then  engage 
the  adjoining  columns.  In  this  space,  in  dis- 
play type,  he  denounced  our  telegrams  as 
bogus,  stating  that  he  had  seen  his  own 
brother  write  them  at  the  hotel.  This  an- 
nouncement completely  took  the  wind  out  of 
our  sails. 

JUMBO'S    FREE    ADVERTISING 

Many  amusing  things  of  this  sort  occurred  in 
the  war  of  opposition,  but  others  of  a  more 
serious  nature  would,  of  course,  come  up. 

The  greatest  amount  of  free  advertising 
ever  received  by  a  big  show,  within  my  knowl- 
edge, for  any  one  thing,  was  that  which 
was  incident  upon  the  purchase  of  "Jumbo." 
The  elephant  was  bought  by  Barnum,  Bailey 
&  Hutchinson  from  the  Zoological  Gardens 
in  London.  When  the  day  arrived  for  his 
removal,  the  elephant  lay  down  and  refused 
to  leave  his  old  home.  This  created  a  sym- 
pathy for  the  dumb  creature,  and  the  children 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW        121 

became  so  interested  that  petitions  were  signed 
by  hundreds — yes,  thousands — of  children  and 
adults  of  Great  Britain,  protesting  against  the 
delivery  of  the  animal  to  its  new  owners. 
Jumbo's  stubbornness  proved  a  fortune  to  his 
new  owners.  Taking  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunity they  began  to  work  upon  the  sympathies 
of  the  Humane  Society,  which  made  every  effort 
to  prevent  Jumbo  from  being  sent  to  this  coun- 
try. The  news  was  cabled  to  America  by  the  col- 
umn. I  happened  to  be  in  the  editor's  room 
of  a  daily  paper  in  New  York  when  one  of 
these  cables  came  into  the  office.  The  editor 
laughingly  called  my  attention  to  it  and  threw 
it  into  the  waste  basket.  I  said:  "What,  are 
you  not  going  to  use  this?"  He  said:  "No,  of 
course  not. ' ' 

"Well,"  said  I,  "you  will  use  Jumbo  matter 
before  the  excitement  is  over. ' ' 

I  saw  how  the  excitement  could,  and  surely 
would,  in  such  able  hands,  be  kept  up.  I  left 
that  night  for  St.  Louis,  where  my  educated 
horses  were  being  exhibited,  and  made  a  call 
on  my  old  friend  Col.  John  A.  Cockrill,  then 
editor  of  the  Post  Dispatch — when  another 
associated  press  Jumbo  dispatch  came  in,  with 
which  they  were  delighted.  I  then  related  my 
experience  with  the  New  York  editor  who  had 


laa        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

refused  to  use  the  cable  that  came  into  the 
office  while  I  was  sitting  there.  The  colonel 
and  Mr.  Pulitzer  said:  "Well,  we  are  glad  to 
use  it — this  and  future  dispatches." 

The  next  day  the  colonel  handed  me  a  New 
York  paper,  which  proved  to  be  the  same  that 
I  had  mentioned,  and  in  it  appeared  a  double 
leaded  account  on  the  Jumbo  excitement. 
Their  show  agents  in  London  did  wonderful 
work  in  keeping  the  associated  press  filled  with 
new  matter,  and  the  free  advertising  they 
secured  would  have  cost  at  regular  rates  a  half 
million  of  dollars  and  even  then  would  not  have 
been  as  effective. 

The  agents  succeeded  in  working  up  this 
opposition  to  Jumbo's  removal  until  they  in- 
duced the  editor  of  the  London  Telegraph  to 
cable  Barnum,  asking  what  price  he  would 
take  to  leave  Jumbo  in  his  own  home,  explain- 
ing the  feeling  of  the  people,  especially  the 
children.  This  editor  had  no  idea  then  and 
perhaps  does  not  even  now  know  that  he  was 
made  an  innocent  agent  in  the  big  advertising 
scheme.  The  children  of  Great  Britain  had 
ridden  on  Jumbo's  back,  fed  and  fondled  him 
for  years,  so  that  it  was  easy  to  arouse  this 
feeling  of  indignation  and  sympathy.  The 
multitude  even  threatened  violence  if  he  was 


BOOMING  THE  BIG  SHOW         123 

removed.  The  excitement  had  purposely  been 
kept  up  to  such  a  pitch  "by  these  people  that  it 
became  international. 

There  was  also  much  excitement  about  Jum- 
bo's wife,  Alice.  Elaborately  written  articles 
were  cabled  over,  expressing  the  sorrow  of 
Alice  at  the  enforced  departure  of  Jumbo  and 
her  consequent  separation  from  her  husband. 
The  feelings  of  the  people  were  so  worked  upon 
that  sympathy  for  Alice  and  Jumbo  almost 
equaled  that  aroused  for  the  slave  by  the 
description  of  Uncle  Tom  in  "Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin. ' '  The  advertising  matter  for  Jumbo — 
the  lithographs,  etc.  — had  already  been  printed, 
and  in  them  he  was  called  "Mastodon." 
When  he  refused  to  be  moved  his  right  name, 
Jumbo,  was  used,  as  the  dispatches  had  gone 
out  in  that  name.  The  strategy  used  by  these 
managers  and  their  agents  to  get  all  this 
notoriety  did  no  one  any  harm  and  made 
good  sensational  reading  for  the  newspapers. 


VII 
PARADES    AND   BAND   WAGONS 

Shows  thrive  best  on  bluster  and  buncombe. 
Years  of  experience  have  taught  me  that  the 
traveling  show  business  handled  by  capitalists 
who  have  been  trained  in  other  lines  of  enter- 
prise can  never  succeed.  I  have  often  been 
reproved  by  business  men  who  were  astounded 
at  the  lavish  and  apparently  watseful  expendi- 
tures of  the  circus  for  "show  and  blow,"  and 
who  have  insisted  that  these  expenses  should 
be  cut  in  half.  It  is  true  that  such  reckless 
expenditures  in  any  ordinary  commercial 
undertaking  would  be  disastrous,  but  it  is  the 
life  of  a  big  show.  When  it  is  possible  thor- 
oughly to  arouse  the  curiosity  of  the  public, 
expense  should  be  a  secondary  consideration. 

THE    FIFTY-CENT    RIVALS    OF    THE    $IO,OOO    HIPPOS 

I  recall  an  incident,  however,  which  goes  to 
show  that  the  most  expensive  attractions  do 
not  necessarily  prove  the  greatest  drawing 
cards.  Among  the  rare  animals  which  I  had 
one  season  were  some  Memiponias,  or  tiny 
124 


PARADES  AND  BAND  WAGONS    125 

deerlets — "hell  benders,"  -as  they  were  com- 
monly called.  One  of  the  opposition  shows 
was  making  a  great  feature  of  a  pair  of  hippo- 
potami, or  river  horses,  from  the  Nile.  I  had 
made  arrangements  to  receive,  at  stated  inter- 
vals, regular  numbers  of  "hell  benders,"  and  I 
would  wire  my  agents  ahead,  "Another  living 
hell  bender  arrived  to-day."  This  he  would 
advertise  with  great  gusto,  getting  out  special 
bills  and  keeping  up  the  excitement. 

One  day,  while  one  of  my  agents,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  back  with  the  show,  was  sitting  in 
my  office,,  a  bill  to  the  amount  of  six  dollars 
was  presented  for  "One  dozen  hell  benders." 
Seeing  this  he  inquired  what  it  meant. 

"Don't  you  see?"  said  I.  "  'One  dozen  hell 
benders,  six  dollars.'  " 

' '  Do  you  mean  to  say, ' '  my  agent  exclaimed, 
"that  I  have  been  advertising  fifty-cent  hell 
benders?" 

"You  have,"  I  laughingly  replied. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "if  that  doesn't  beat  the 
deuce!  These  fifty-cent  hell  benders  have 
knocked  $10,000  worth  of  hippos  higher  than  a 
kite ! "  It  certainly  was  a  fact  that  our  fifty- 
cent  articles  had  been  so  judiciously  advertised 
as  to  create  more  excitement  than  the  costly 
"hippos"  of  the  opposition. 


126       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

In  the  course  of  the  same  season  I  made  a 
discovery  which  proved  to  be  a  valuable  draw- 
ing card.  I  owned  some  young  elephants 
which  I  had  lent  to  a  showman  on  the  Bowery. 
On  going  to  see  them  one  day  I  noticed  a  man 
holding  his  finger  in  the  mouth  of  one  of  the 
smaller  ones.  I  placed  my  finger  in  the  mouth 
of  another  and  found  that  the  creatures  seemed 
to  derive  pleasure  from  the  action  of  sucking. 
Immediately  I  sent  out  for  an  ordinary  infant's 
nursing  bottle".  The  young  elephant  drained 
the  bottle  as  if  to  the  manner  born.  It  was 
passed  from  one  to  another  of  the  infant  class. 
Finally  they  fought  in  the  most  indescribably 
comical  manner  for  possession  of  the  bottle. 

A  SKILLFUL  APPEAL  TO  PUBLIC  SYMPATHY 

Then  I  fitted  a  large  glass  jar,  holding  a  gal- 
lon, with  rubber  tubes,  so  that  all  could  use  it 
at  the  same  time.  Invariably  they  would 
empty  this  bottle  before  loosening  their  hold 
on  the  nipples.  They  had  doubtless  been 
taken  from  their  mother  when  too  young,  or 
perhaps  she  had  been  killed  at  the  time  the 
young  were  captured.  So  effectively  did  they 
appeal  to  public  interest  and  sentiment  that  by 
dint  of  skillful  advertising  the  celebrated 
"sucking  baby  elephants"  made  quite  a  for- 


THE  HERD  OF  YOUNG  ELEPHANTS. 


PARADES  AND  BAND  WAGONS    127 

tune  in  a  single  season.  They  would  be  led 
into  the  ring,  where  they  would  take  their 
nourishment  like  human  babies,  their  over- 
grown size  making  this  infantile  operation  very 
comical  and  absurd.  The  sight  captivated  the 
heart  of  every  woman  who  attended  the  show. 
The  eagerness  of  circus  proprietors  to  pro- 
cure animal  monstrosities  for  exhibition  pur- 
poses has  called  forth  many  laughable 
communications  from  persons  who  have  curi- 
osities of  this  kind  to  sell.  I  remember  going 
one  morning  into  the  office  and  reading  a  tele- 
gram which  came  to  Mr.  Barnum.  It  was  as 
follows : 

"BALTIMORE,  Md. 

"To  P.  T.  BARNUM:  I  have  a  four-legged 
chicken.  Come  quick." 

The  circus  of  the  present  day  is  not  complete 
without  the  side  shows  and  the  after  concerts. 
For  my  own  part  I  can  honestly  say  that  I 
never  in  my  life  heard  a  concert  announce- 
ment made  in  my  show  without  feeling  like 
getting  up  and  leaving  in  disgust;  but  all 
classes  of  show-goers  must  be  pleased,  and 
there  is  one  class  which  demands  the  concert 
and  another  class  that  wants  the  side  shows. 


iz8        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 


A    SILENT    PARADE    FROM    ALBANY    TO    THE    STATE 
LINE 

I  am  glad  to  know  that  the  circus  man  who 
speaks  of  his  patrons  as  "gillies,"  and  who 
endeavors  to  obtain  his  wealth  by  fair  or  foul 
means,  is  becoming  more  and  more  rare.  I 
recall  an  illiterate  circus  man  of  this  descrip- 
tion who  employed  every  "privilege"  known  to 
the  circus  world.  For  example :  when  travel- 
ing by  wagon  the  whole  caravan  would  pass 
through  a  toll-gate,  stating  that  the  "boss"  was 
behind  and  would  pay  the  toll.  The  last 
vehicle  to  go  through  would  contain  this  dig- 
nitary and  his  treasurer,  who,  when  confronted 
with  the  long  list  of  vehicles  on  which  he  ought 
to  pay  toll,  would  declare  that  the  toll-keeper 
had  been  imposed  upon,  and  that  half  of  those 
vehicles  belonged  to  a  gang  of  gypsies  having 
no  connection  whatever  with  the  show.  He 
would  then  cut  the  bill  down  according  to  the 
easy  or  hard  nature  of  the  custodian  of  the  toll- 
gate,  and  in  this  manner  evade  payment  of 
what,  in  a  whole  season,  would  aggregate  a 
large  sum  of  money. 

On  one  occasion,  when  about  to  exhibit  in 
Albany,  and  knowing  that  his  whole  outfit 


PARADES  AND  BAND  WAGONS    129 

would  that  day  be  attached  for  debt,  he 
ordered  the  parade  to  start  early,  as  he  in- 
tended to  give  them  a  "long  ride."  The  pro- 
cession accordingly  started  on  what  has  passed 
into  circus  history  as  the  ' '  silent  parade, ' '  for, 
leaving  the  city  in  all  the  glory  of  spangle  and 
tinsel,  the  showmen  never  rested  until  they 
had  reached  the  State  line,  while  the  sheriffs, 
waiting  at  the  tents  in  Albany  for  the  parade 
to  return,  had  the  poor  satisfaction  of  attach- 
ing the  almost  worn-out  and  quite  worthless 
canvas. 

I  have  often  been  asked  what  it  costs  to  start 
a  circus  and  menagerie.  This  is  a  most  diffi- 
cult question  to  answer,  since  it  depends  en- 
tirely upon  the  size  and  pretensions  of  the 
enterprise  in  question.  Shows  vary  in  size 
from  cheap  affairs,  capable  of  being  carried  in 
three  railroad  cars,  to  the  elaborate  institu- 
tions which  require  two  long  special  trains  for 
their  transportation.  The  expense  of  running 
a  large  show  is  enormous,  although  in  advertis- 
ing this  expense  is  usually  exaggerated.  There 
are  a  great  many  traveling  tented  exhibitions 
which  "bill,"  or  advertise,  like  a  circus,  and  in 
the  eyes  of  the  general  public  pass  for  circuses, 
but  which,  in  reality,  are  variety  exhibitions 
given  under  canvas. 


i3o        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

THE  FLUCTUATING  LEVELS  OF  CIRCUS  VALUES 

In  the  eye  of  the  law  a  circus  must  have 
feats  of  horsemanship  in  its  program,  and  such 
shows  have  to  pay  a  "circus"  license,  which  in 
some  States  and  cities  is  very  high.  If,  how- 
ever, the  shows  do  not  give  any  riding,  their 
performance  simply  consisting  of  leaping, 
tumbling,  and  athletic  feats,  then  a  license 
may  be  taken  out  at  a  greatly  reduced  price ; 
and  this  accounts  for  the  almost  numberless 
small  shows  which  annually  tour  the  country. 
Of  the  circus  and  menagerie  show  proper  I  do 
not  think  there  are  more  than  twenty  in  Amer- 
ica; but  of  tented  exhibitions,  billed  as  "rail- 
road shows, ' '  there  are  several  hundred.  The 
tented  exhibitions  employ  from  fifty  to  six 
hundred  men  each,  and  the  capital  invested  in 
them  runs  from  $5,000  to  $250,000. 

Many  of  the  smaller  shows  are  fitted  out 
economically  by  purchasing  from  the  larger 
ones  paraphernalia  that  has  been  used  a  season 
or  two.  For  example:  the  canvases  used  an 
entire  season  by  a  large  show  may  be  purchased 
cheaply,  because  it  is  essential  to  the  attractive- 
ness of  a  really  great  amusement  institution  to 
have  each  season  a  new,  white  "spread."  The 
old  canvas,  if  not  sold  to  the  smaller  showmen, 


PARADES  AND  BAND  WAGONS   131 

is  disposed  of  to  the  paper  manufacturers  at 
about  one  and  one-half  cents  the  pound. 

The  same  rule  of  enforced  replenishment 
applies  to  wardrobe  and  general  paraphernalia. 
In  this  way  a  beginner  in  the  circus  business 
may,  by  judicious  investment  in  second-hand 
bargains,  start  out  with  a  very  fair  outfit 
secured  at  a  much  smaller  cost  than  if  he 
were  compelled  to  purchase  everything  new. 
And,  in  this  connection,  let  me  say  that  I 
know  of  no  other  business  enterprise  in  which 
new  material  costs  so  much,  and  when  sold  at 
second-hand  realizes  so  little.  One  of  the  larg. 
est  shows  ever  organized  in  this  country,  and 
which  was  reputed  to  be  worth  more  than  half 
a  million  dollars,  was  inventoried  on  the  death 
of  one  of  the  proprietors,  with  a  view  to  selling 
the  estate  of  the  deceased,  and,  to  the  great 
surprise  of  the  executors,  was  found  to  reach 
in  value  only  about  $200,000. 

Twenty  years  ago  a  show  with  a  daily 
expenditure  of  $250  was  thought  extravagant, 
while  fifty  years  ago  a  circus  whose  receipts 
averaged  sixty  dollars  a  day  was  considered  to 
be  doing  a  good  business.  To-day  there  is 
one  show  the  expenses  of  which  are  undoubt- 
edly more  than  $3,500  a  day,  although  it  is  sur- 
prising what  wonderful  displays  are  made  by 


i32        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

others  at  a  cost  of  less  than  $1,000  a  day.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that,  above  a  certain  amount, 
the  expenses  depend  largely  upon  the  amount 
of  advertising  done.  It  is  amusing,  however, 
to  note  the  manner  in  which  all  of  them,  big 
and  little,  claim  to  be  the  largest  and  most 
expensive  attractions  in  the  country.  Many 
smaller  showmen  use  the  same  billing  matter 
as  the  largest  ones,  and  scores  of  lines  can  be 
read  in  the  circus  advertisements  of  to-day  that 
have  done  duty  for  many  years. 

WHAT    IT  COSTS    TO  RIDE    WITH  THE    BAND    WAGON 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  give  an  intelligent 
idea  of  the  cost  of  wild  animals,  since  this  de- 
pends entirely  upon  the  operation  of  the  law  of 
supply  and  demand.  The  cost  of  cages  varies, 
of  course,  according  to  size  and  decorations, 
and  the  same  observation  applies  to  the  railroad 
cars.  The  most  expensive  of  the  latter  are  the 
highly  ornamental  cars  used  for  advance  adver- 
tising. These  are  comfortably,  and  even  elab- 
orately, fitted,  and  are  provided  with  a  huge 
paste  boiler  and  other  conveniences.  They 
cost  anywhere  from  $3,000  to  $7,000.  The  flat 
and  stock  cars  used  by  circuses  are  much  more 
substantially  constructed  than  the  ordinary 
ones  used  in  the  railroad  freight  business,  and 


PARADES  AND  BAND  WAGONS  133 

are  considerably  larger,  most  of  them  being 
sixty  feet  in  length  and  fitted  with  springs 
similar  to  those  of  passenger  coaches.  Cars  of 
this  description  cost  from  $500  to  $800  each; 
passenger  coaches  from  $1,500  upward,  accord- 
ing to  the  quality  of  interior,  fittings  and  deco- 
rations. 

Some  circus  proprietors  also  have  their  own 
private  cars,  fitted  with  every  imaginable  con- 
venience and  luxury,  and  such  a  car  costs  high 
in  the  thousands.  The  expense  of  the  ward- 
robe depends,  of  course,  on  the  amount  used 
and  its  quality,  and  whether  the  costumes  are 
intended  for  a  spectacular  show  or  for  an  ordi- 
nary circus.  The  wardrobe  and  papier  miche" 
chariots  used  in  the  production  of  our  "Con- 
gress of  Nations"  cost  Mr.  Barnum  and  myself 
more  than  $40,000,  and  I  am  told  that  Mr. 
Bailey  expended  a  like  amount  on  his  "Colum- 
bian" display. 

The  price  of  the  canvas  has  been  wonder- 
fully reduced  within  the  last  few  years.  We 
paid  $10,000  for  our  first  hippodrome  tent 
alone,  and  this  did  not  include  dressing-room 
tents,  horse  tents  and  camp  tents.  Afterward, 
however,  we  had  a  larger  one  made  for  very 
much  less  money.  The  small  circuses  that 
hover  around  Chicago  and  the  larger  cities  of 


i34       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  West  in  summer  usually  use  a  tent  about 
eighty  feet  across,  with  two  thirty-foot  middle 
pieces.  This,  equipped  with  poles,  seats  and 
lights,  costs  about  $800,  These  tents  are  made 
of  light  material.  The  larger  canvases  have  to 
be  made  of  stouter  stuff,  and  a  tent  suitable 
for  hippodrome  or  spectacular  shows,  which 
must  be  about  225  feet  in  width  and  425  or  450 
feet  in  length,  would  cost  about  $7,000. 

REQUIREMENTS    AND    COST    OF    THE    CIRCUS    HORSE 

As  an  evidence  of  how  circuses  have  in- 
creased in  size,  I  will  say  that  the  seventy  or 
eighty  quarter  poles  which  hold  up  the  main 
tent  of  the  Barnum  &  Bailey  shows  are  each 
larger  than  the  main  pole  used  years  ago. 
The  present  system  of  lighting,  which,  by  the 
way,  I  was  the  first  to  use,  is  the  patent  of  an 
Englishman,  improved  by  an  American  named 
Gale.  It  first  took  the  place  of  kerosene  lights, 
so  far  as  circus  illumination  is  concerned,  in 
1870.  In  experimenting  with  these  lights, 
when  I  first  introduced  them,  I  several  times 
met  with  accidents  which  threatened  to  termi- 
nate my  career.  Once  I  purchased  an  electric 
light  plant  with  the  intention  of  doing  away 
with  all  gasoline  illumination,  but  was  com- 


pelled  to  abandon  the  attempt  after  expending 
$8,000  for  a  portable  electric  plant. 

The  item  of  tent  stakes  is  quite  a  formidable 
one.  Fitted  with  iron  rings,  they  cost  about 
fifty  cents  each,  and  hundreds  of  them  are  re- 
quired by  every  circus.  Harnesses  require  an 
outlay  of  from  ten  to  twenty-five  dollars  each, 
according  to  decoration  and  material. 

The  draught  horses  used  by  circuses  vary  in 
price,  some  of  them  being  purchased  cheap 
from  horse  markets;  but  I  have  always  found 
that  the  best  I  could  get  were  the  most  eco- 
nomical. Those  bought  by  me  averaged  $200 
each;  the  usual  circus  horse,  however,  costs 
much  less,  and  so  long  as  it  does  its  work  all 
right  the  main  purpose  is  answered,  for,  in 
passing  through  the  streets,  its  faults  do  not 
attract  the  attention  of  the  ordinary  observer, 
but  only  that  of  the  typical  horseman.  Ring 
horses,  whether  for  a  "pad"  or  a  "bare-back" 
act,  must  have  a  regular  gait,  as  without  it  the 
rider  is  liable  to  be  thrown.  They  are  fre- 
quently and  generally  owned  by  the  performers 
themselves,  and  I  have  known  a  crack  rider  to 
pay  as  high  as  $2,000  for  one  whose  gait  ex- 
actly suited  him.  The  performing  "trakene" 
stallions  brought  from  Germany  by  Mr.  Bar- 
num  cost  $10,000,  and  my  first  troupe  of  edu- 


136       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

cated  horses,  ten  in  number,  were  purchased  at 
the  same  figure.  These,  however,  were  un- 
questionably the  best  and  most  valuable  ever 
seen  in  a  circus. 

A   PAGE    FROM    THE    INVOICE    BOOK  OF    A   BIG    SHOW 

Though  it  would  be  comparatively  easy  to 
start  a  circus  and  menagerie  equipped  almost 
entirely  with  second-hand  paraphernalia,  the 
reader  will  see  from  the  following  figures  that 
the  cost  of  starting  a  new  first-class  circus  and 
menagerie  is  another  proposition.  Here  are  a 
few  official  figures  on  the  cost  of  a  first-class 
circus  and  menagerie  which  have  never  before 
been  made  public.  They  are  taken  from  my 
private  record,  or  invoice  book : 

20  Cages  at  $350, $7,000.00 

2  Band  wagons  at  $1,500  each,    .     .  3,000.00 

3  Chariots  at  $3,000  each,  ....  9,000.00 
i  Wardrobe  wagon,        800.00 

1  Ticket  wagon, 400.00 

The  above  for  the  parade. 

Animals  to  fill  these  cages  will  average  about  : 

2  Lions 2,000.00 

2  Royal  Tigers 2,000.00 

2  Leopards 400.00 

i  Yak, 150.00 

1  Horned  Horse 500.00 

2  Camels 300.00 

2  Elephants, 3,000.00 


PARADES  AND  BAND  WAGONS   137 

(As  small  elephants  have  been  delivered 
here  for  $1,000  each,  this  is  probably  a  fair 
average. ) 

i  Hippopotamus 5,000.00 

1  Rhinoceros, 5,000.00 

2  Cages  of  monkeys i  ,000,00 

i  Kangaroo 200.00 

i  Cassowary, 200.00 

i  Ostrich 500.00 

1  Giraffe, 1,500.00 

Other    small    animals    including 
hyenas,  bears,  ichneumon,  birds, 

etc 2,000.00 

12  Baggage  wagons  at  8200,     .     .     .  2,400.00 

4  Roman  chariots, 1,000.00 

125  Horses  at  $125  each 15,625.00 

This  price  is  above  the  average. 

125  Harnesses  at  $15, 1,875.00 

2  Advertising  cars, 5,000.00 

Wardrobe, 3,000.00 

2  Sleepers, 5,000.00 

10  Flat  cars  at  $400,  ' 4,000.00 

6  Horse  cars  at  8400 2,400.00 

Elephant  car, 500.00 

Tents, 4,000.00 


$88,750.00 

This  could  be  reduced  by  eliminating  the 
rhinoceros,  hippopotamus,  giraffe  and  other 
very  expensive  animals,  but  to  this  must  be 
added  considerable  money  for  stakes,  shovels, 


r38        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

picks,  stake  pullers,  extra  ropes,  tickets,  blank 
contracts  and  all  necessary  printing,  which 
would  bring  the  cost  of  the  usual  "million 
dollar"  circus  and  menagerie  up  to  about 
$86,000. 

On  all  this  property  there  is  not  one  dollar 
of  insurance.  Once,  when  on  the  road,  a  live 
stock  insurance  company  came  to  me  to  insure 
our  horses,  but  at  the  rate  at  which  they 
wanted  to  insure  them  I  soon  convinced  them 
that  we  could  not  make  any  money. 

I  might  add  that  a  circus  and  menagerie  at 
the  figures  I  have  given  would  be  far  better 
and  larger  than  the  average  "million  dollar 
show"  now  on  the  road,  there  being  certainly 
not  more  than  three  aggregations  that  cost 
more  than  the  amount  I  have  given.  No  man 
should  attempt  the  show  business  who  has  not 
a  fortune,  and  also  plenty  of  that  other  kind  of 
capital  quite  as  essential  to  his  success — long 
experience  on  the  road. 


VIII 
ANECDOTES   OF    MEN   AND   ANIMALS 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CIRCUS 

The  first  circus  in  America  was  started  by 
Nathan  A.  Howes  and  Aaron  Turner  under  a 
top  canvas  in  1826.  Previous  to  that  time 
others  had  shows  in  frame  buildings  and  some 
simply  with  side  canvas  in  hotel  yards,  and  in 
theaters  in  New  York  City.  The  full  tent  cir- 
cus originated  in  the  towns  of  Somers  and 
North  Salem,  Westchester  County,  New 
York,  and  Southeast  and  Carmel,  Putnam 
County,  New  York.  The  original  showmen 
were  Raymond,  Titus,  June,  Quick,  Angevine 
Crane,  Smith  and  Nathans,  and  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  ascertain,  June,  Titus  and  Ange- 
vine were  the  first  to  import  wild  animals  on 
their  own  account. 

Previous  to  this  the  Raymond  and  Titus  com- 
panies were  in  the  habit  of  purchasing  wild 
animals  from  sea  captains  who,  in  a  spirit  of 
speculation,  would  bring  them  to  our  shores. 
There  existed  a  great  rivalry  between  these 
139 


140        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

companies  and  they  soon  became  possessed  of 
more  animals  than  they  needed.  They  toured 
the  East  during  the  period  from  about  1826  to 
1834,  with  but  indifferent  success,  and  then 
Titus  &  Company  took  their  show  to  England, 
where  John  June  had  preceded  them. 

The  circus  and  menagerie  in  those  days  were 
separate  and  distinct  attractions  and,  while  the 
menagerie  had  the  greater  drawing  power,  it 
was  only  exhibited  in  the  daytime.  In  the  case 
of  an  opposition  circus  the  attendance  would 
generally  split  up,  but  would  result  in  a  benefit 
to  each  attraction,  for  the  same  crowd  which 
gazed  at  the  menagerie  during  the  day  would 
also  be  able  to  enjoy  the  circus  which  ex- 
hibited at  night.  It  was  not  until  1851  that  a 
circus  and  a  menagerie  were  exhibited  to- 
gether, at  one  price  of  admission  and  owned 
by  the  same  proprietors. 

At  that  time  George  F.  Bailey  induced 
Turner,  who  was  his  father-in-law,  to  purchase 
an  elephant  and  some  other  animals  from  Titus 
&  Company,  and  others  from  incoming  vessels 
at  New  York,  Boston  and  Charleston.  Mr. 
Bailey  had  six  cages  built,  and  these,  together 
with  the  elephants,  he  added  to  the  circus  in 
order  to  reach  the  church-going  elment  which 
would  go  to  see  the  "menagerie  only,"  but 


ANECDOTES  141 

invariably  remained,  when  the  band  com- 
menced to  play,  "because  the  children  wanted 
to  see  the  circus. ' ' 

To  Mr.  George  F.  Bailey  must  also  be  given 
the  credit  of  devising  a  tank  on  wheels  in 
which  could  be  exhibited  the  hippopotamus. 
This  animal  proved  a  wonderful  drawing  card, 
and  was  then  advertised  as  it  sometimes  is  to- 
day as  "the  blood-sweating  Behemoth  of  Holy 
Writ."  This  animal  made  several  men 
wealthy.  L.  B.  Lent,  the  well-known  circus 
man,  afterwards  hired  it  and  paid  for  its  use  no 
less  than  twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  gross 
receipts  of  his  show.  From  the  death  of  this 
hippopotamus  until  1873  there  was  none  in  the 
country;  but  in  that  year  Mr.  Barnum  and  I 
secured  one  from  Reiche  Brothers,  whose  men 
had  captured  it  from  a  school  on  the  river 
Nile.  It  cost  us  $10,000,  and  we  had  previously 
spent  several  thousand  dollars  in  sending  our 
own  men  to  Egypt  on  a  similar  errand  that 
proved  fruitless. 

THE  FIRST  ELEPHANT  BROUGHT  TO  AMERICA 

I  am  informed  by  the  best  living  authority 
that  the  first  elephant  brought  to  this  country 
was  imported  by  Hackaliah  Bailey,  an  uncle  of 
George  F.  Bailey,  the  retired  circus  manager. 


i42       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

It  was  exhibited  in  barns  in  the  eastern  coun- 
try and  was  considered  a  great  curiosity  and 
sufficient  in  itself  to  constitute  a  whole  show 
and  satisfy  the  people.  It  traveled  altogether 
at  night — principally  that  the  country  people 
should  not  get  a  free  glimpse  of  the  wonderful 
animal,  and  also  because,  in  Connecticut,  there 
was  a  law  prohibiting  the  driving  of  elephants 
through  that  State  during  the  daytime  without 
a  license,  the  neglect  to  obtain  which  entailed 
a  fine  of  $100,  half  of  that  going  to  the  in- 
former and  half  to  the  State.  The  law  was 
passed  in  1828,  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  has  never 
been  repealed.  This  piece  of  information  will 
doubtless  astonish  a  good  many  showmen. 

At  some  place  in  Rhode  Island  this  elephant 
was  fatally  shot  by  some  malicious  person,  and 
no  one  at  the  present  day  seems  able  to  explain 
the  wanton  outrage.  It  may  be  that  it  was 
done  out  of  curiosity,  to  see  whether  a  bullet 
would  penetrate  the  skin,  but  I  think  it  is  more 
likely  to  have  been  the  spite  of  some  country- 
man who  was  disappointed  at  not  being  able  to 
obtain  a  free  glimpse  of  the  animal.  I  am 
encouraged  in  this  opinion  because  it  is  a  mat- 
ter of  record  that  the  farmers  would  gather  on 
the  road  over  which  the  elephant  was  to  pass 
at  night  and  build  huge  stacks  of  faggots,  straw 


ANECDOTES  143 

and  brushwood  which  they  would  ignite  on  the 
approach  of  the  beast  in  order  to  secure  a  dis- 
tinct view  of  the  wonder;  but  the  showmen 
would  blanket  a  horse  and  send  him  ahead, 
shouting  ' '  Mile  up !  Mile  up ! "  when  approach- 
ing a  party  of  nocturnal  spectators.  This  com- 
mand has  been  used  in  handling  elephants  as 
long  as  these  creatures  have  served  the  white 
race.  On  hearing  this  call  the  farmers  would 
light  their  bonfires  only  to  discover,  on  the 
approach  of  the  draped  horse,  that  they  had 
been  fooled.  And  bitter  would  be  their  disap- 
pointment when,  after  the  last  flickering  ember 
of  their  fire  had  died  out,  the  huge  object  of 
their  curiosity  would  pass  unseen  in  the  dark- 
ness. At  the  death  of  this  elephant  Hackaliah 
Bailey  went  into  the  hotel  business  at  Somers, 
N.  Y.,  and  erected,  outside  of  his  tavern,  the 
cast  of  an  elephant  in  bronze,  mounted  on  a 
stone  pedestal  more  than  twelve  feet  in  height. 
The  elephant  monument  may  to  this  day  be 
seen  in  perfect  condition,  although  placed  there 
nearly  seventy  years  ago.  The  first  drove  of 
elephants  seen  in  this  country  were  brought 
from  Ceylon  to  America  by  Mr.  S.  B.  Howes 
and  P.  T.  Barnum  in  1850.  The  exhibition 
was  in  charge  of  George  Nutter,  and  the  expe- 
dition was  about  six  months  en  voyage.  After 


144        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

losing  one  or  two  on  the  way  they  finally  landed 
in  New  York,  about  1850,  with  ten  elephants, 
and  they  proved  a  very  great  attraction. 

THE  FIRST  DROVE  OF  CAMELS 

The  first  drove  of  camels  was,  likewise, 
brought  into  this  country  by  S.  B.  Howes,  and, 
being  broken  to  drive  in  harness,  they  also 
proved  a  powerful  drawing  card.  This  first 
drove  he  imported  in  1847  from  Cairo,  Egypt. 
Mr.  Howes  then  sent  Augustus  Crane  to  the 
Canary  Islands,  in  1848,  in  search  of  camels, 
and  in  1849  he  landed  in  Baltimore  with  a 
drove  of  eleven.  No  more  camels  were 
brought  in  after  this  for  several  years,  until  a 
lady  in  Texas,  the  owner  of  a  "slaver"  or  slave 
ship,  brought  some  over  as  a  subterfuge.  Her 
excuse  was  that  she  wanted  them  to  use  as 
beasts  of  burden  on  her  plantation;  but,  al- 
though the  camels  were  on  deck,  she  had  a 
lower  deck  on  which  were  huddled  together, 
after  the  inhuman  fashion  of  the  time,  many 
poor  blacks,  who  were  really  the  "beasts  of 
burden"  of  greatest  value  to  this  feminine 
slave  trader. 

The  government  also  imported  a  lot  of  cam- 
els and  made  the  experiment  of  carrying  the 
mails  from  Texas  to  California  by  "Camel 


ANECDOTES  145 

Post";  but,  this  proving  unsuccessful,  the  ani- 
mals were  turned  loose  to  shift  for  themselves 
until  showmen  created  a  demand  for  them  and 
bought  most  of  them  for  very  little  money,  in 
some  cases  paying  only  $80  apiece  for  them. 
It  is  said  that  even  now  there  are  a  few  camels 
running  wild  in  Western  Texas  and  Mexico. 

THE  FIGHT  OF  THE  OSTRICHES 

For  the  opening  of  the  Hippodrome  we  had 
imported  a  drove  of  nearly  forty  ostriches  and 
had  quartered  them  at  the  American  Institute. 
The  birds  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention, 
not  only  on  account  of  their  rarity,  but  also  on 
account  of  their  magnificent  plumage,  some  of 
them  being  marvels  of  natural  splendor. 
They  would  walk  around  their  enclosure  with 
the  most  majestic  gait  imaginable.  Among 
the  professional  spectators  one  morning  was 
Mr.  J.  J.  Nathans,  a  retired  circus  proprietor. 
Mr.  Nathans  wore  in  his  scarf  a  very  valuable 
diamond  stud,  and  the  stone  evidently  attracted 
a  great  deal  of  the  attention  of  the  birds. 
They  would  turn  their  heads  around  and  the 
gleam  in  their  small  eyes  would  rival  that  of 
the  stone.  Suddenly  one  of  the  ostriches  made 
a  vicious  peck  at  Mr.  Nathans.  That  gentle- 
man immediately  drew  back,  but  too  late  to 


146        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

save  the  precious  stone.  The  bird  had  swal- 
lowed a  $400  solitaire!  Mr.  Nathans  ever 
afterwards  admired  ostriches  from  a  distance. 

At  the  American  Institute  we  had  placed  the 
ostriches  in  charge  of  an  old  employ^  named 
Delaney.  This  man  had  noticed  that  for  some 
time  two  of  the  male  birds  had  been  pecking  at 
each  other  and,  to  use  his  own  expression, 
were  "spoiling  for  a  fight."  This  increasing 
viciousness  one  day  culminated  in  a  battle 
royal. 

The  morning  of  that  day  both  seemed  to  be 
in  a  particularly  ugly  mood,  and  the  rest  of  the 
drove  gave  them  a  wide  berth.  Every  now 
and  then  one  of  them  would  stretch  out  his 
long  neck  and,  with  head  uplifted,  give  vent  to 
a  sharp  hissing  sound.  This  was  evidently  a 
challenge,  for  it  would  be  immediately  taken 
up  and  answered  by  the  other.  They  would 
follow  each  other  around  the  wooden  enclos- 
ure, striking  viciously  at  each  other.  As  by 
concerted  action  all  the  female  birds  huddled 
themselves  together  at  one  end  of  the  enclosure 
and  eight  or  ten  males  took  up  positions  just  in 
front  as  if  to  protect  them.  This  left  the  en- 
closure almost  clear  for  the  two  belligerents, 
and  they  went  at  it  in  fearful  earnest. 

Word  was  immediately  sent  me,  but  neither 


ANECDOTES  147 

I  nor  any  of  my  employes  were  on  terms  of 
sufficient  intimacy  with  them  to  justify  a  per- 
sonal attempt  at  arbitration.  Delaney,  how- 
ever, armed  himself  with  a  stout  club, 
deliberately  threw  himself  into  the  breech  and 
attempted  to  separate  them.  In  doing  so  he 
only  exposed  himself  to  the  risk  of  sustaining 
severe  bodily  injuries.  The  birds  took  no 
notice  of  him  whatever,  but  continued  to  fight, 
uttering  at  times  a  series  of  piercing  screams 
and  hisses,  They  would  swing  around  each 
other  and  land  fearful  blows. 

Their  mouths  were  wide  open,  their  eyes  red 
and  hideous,  and  their  magnificent  plumage 
ruffled,  until  the  spectators,  while  deploring 
the  fight,  could  not  help  admiring  the  splendid 
appearance  of  the  birds  in  their  rage.  The 
smaller  of  the  two  was  the  more  cautious. 
After  a  severe  blow  he  would  with  some  diffi- 
culty recover  his  equilibrium  and,  running  off 
a  little  distance  would  suddenly  wheel  about 
and  deal  the  big  fellow  two  or  three  blows  in 
rapid  succession. 

Delaney  jumped  between  them  and  used  his 
club  on  their  long  necks,  but  without  any 
effect,  for  the  birds  seemed  tireless.  Their 
cries  grew  harsher  and  louder  and  the  resound- 
ing blows  fell  like  the  beats  of  an  automatic 


i48        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

sledgehammer.  Suddenly  a  most  peculiar  cry 
was  heard.  The  others  of  the  herd  seemed  to 
manifest  more  attention;  and  the  two  prin- 
cipals spread  their  wings,  like  the  dragons  of 
old,  and  made  the  final  onslaught.  Scream- 
ing with  frightful  shrillness  and  with  their 
little  bloodshot  eyes  gleaming  hideously  they 
made  the  crucial  rush.  Just  as  they  were 
within  a  few  feet  of  each  other,  Delaney  man- 
aged to  strike  the  larger  bird  a  severe  blow  on 
the  neck.  The  creature  wavered  for  a  moment 
and  then  fell  prostrate.  Another  peculiar  cry 
came  from  the  smaller  bird  and  both  principals 
receded  from  each  other.  They  were  about  to 
resume  hostilities  when  a  second  blow  brought 
the  larger  bird  to  the  floor  and  the  other  one 
seeing  this,  evidently  adjudged  himself  the 
victor,  for  he  walked  proudly  away,  followed 
by  many  of  the  admiring  female  birds.  We 
immediately  took  steps  to  prevent  a  repetition 
of  this  remarkable  fight  by  keeping  the  com- 
batants in  separate  pens. 

The  fight,  however,  was  most  stirring  and 
splendid,  and  the  birds  themselves  seemed  to 
be  the  very  embodiment  of  knightly  pride,  so 
manifestly  aggressive  did  they  look  in  their 
ruffled  plumage.  Alas  for  vanity!  Scarcely 
twelve  hours  had  passed  when  a  message  was 


ANECDOTES  149 

brought  me  from  Delaney  to  come  at  once  to 
the  ostrich  pen.  I  did  so,  expecting  to  hear  of 
another  combat  of  feathered  gladiators.  In- 
stead a  sorry  sight  met  my  eyes.  During  the 
night  some  vandal  had  plucked  the  brilliant 
plumage  from  the  birds  and  left  them  miser- 
able and  dejected  specimens  of  despoiled  pride. 
I  would  cheerfully  have  given  $1,000  tc  have 
discovered  the  miscreant.  As  for  the  birds, 
the  life  seemed  to  have  left  them.  They 
would  gaze  sadly  at  each  other,  peer  at  their 
own  denuded  bodies,  and  with  an  indescribably 
piteous  expression,  slink  away  into  corners  as 
if  inexpressibly  ashamed  of  their  appearance. 
Every  possible  inquiry  was  made  in  the  hope 
of  finding  out  the  vandals  who  had  plucked 
their  feathers,  but  in  vain.  I  dare  say,  if  the 
truth  were  known,  some  of  our  own  men 
secured  the  plumes.  The  birds  did  not  regain 
their  beauty  for  many  moons,  and  all  we  got 
that  season  for  our  big  outlay  was  the  thrilling 
spectacle  of  the  ostrich  fight. 

THE  BELLIGERENT  ALLIGATORS 

During  the  whale  season  we  utilized  the 
whale  tank,  which  was  empty  owing  to  the 
death  of  the  whale,  by  placing  in  it  a  number 
of  alligators  from  Florida.  Our  agent  had  just 


i5o       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

returned  from  an  expedition,  with  forty  of 
these  creatures  ranging  in  length  from  one  to 
twelve  feet.  Although  the  tank  was  an  im- 
mense one,  these  forty  saurians  did  not  have  as 
much  room  as  they  would  have  liked.  This 
overcrowding  was  doubtless  the  cause  of  a 
most  terrible  fight  between  them,  which  oc- 
curred very  soon  after  they  were  installed  in 
their  new  quarters.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to 
describe  this  conflict.  Nearly  all  the  larger 
"gators"  took  part  in  it,  springing  at  each 
other  and  locking  their  jaws  with  a  resound- 
ing, crashing  noise  that  could  be  heard  all  over 
the  building. 

While  thus  locked  together  they  would  toss 
each  other  about  and  swish  their  tails  with 
such  vigor  as  to  completely  destroy  the  tank, 
breaking  the  thick  glass.  Our  attendants  were 
almost  paralyzed  with  fear  and  confusion  at  the 
strange  battle,  and  vainly  endeavored  to  sep- 
arate the  combatants.  There  seemed,  how- 
ever, to  be  no  way  of  doing  this,  as  they  would 
snap  at  each  other  so  violently  as  to  break  each 
other's  jaws,  and  this  horrible  snap  really 
sounded  like  the  report  of  a  gun.  To  prevent 
their  escape  into  the  exhibition  room  a  tem- 
porary barrier  was  soon  erected  and,  when 
they  became  exhausted  in  attempting  to  kill 


ANECDOTES  151 

each  other,  we  determined,  for  fear  that  re- 
turning strength  would  bring  about  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  horrible  scene,  to  dispatch  all  save 
the  smaller  ones.  This  was  done  by  sending 
bullets  into  their  eyes.  We  buried  the  car- 
casses on  Long  Island,  much  to  the  regret  of 
an  eminent  taxidermist,  who  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  secured  them ;  but  we  were  eager 
to  be  rid  of  the  monsters.  The  fight  was  not 
down  on  the  bills  and  was  one  we  were  entirely 
unprepared  for ;  but  it  was  the  most  exciting 
and  at  the  same  time  most  terrifying  combat  I 
ever  saw.  Had  it  not  been  so  horrible  and 
could  it  have  been  advertised,  I  am  sure  it 
would  have  drawn  together  more  people  than 
a  Spanish  bull  fight.  The  tank,  which  was 
totally  destroyed,  was  made  of  glass  one  and 
one-fourth  inches  thick,  embedded  in  cement 
and  bound  with  solid  iron  columns.  It  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $4,500,  and  yet  was  de- 
stroyed in  ten  minutes  by  these  vicious  alli- 
gators from  the  slimy  depths  of  southern 
swamps. 

I  remember  vividly  the  time  when  (in  Win- 
chester, Va.)  Charles  Dayton,  the  Herculean 
cannon  ball  performer  and  general  gymnast, 
was  attacked  by  hyenas  just  after  entering  the 
den  for  the  street  parade.  Only  such  a  man  of 


i52        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

strength,  undeniable  courage  and  great  pres- 
ence of  mind  would  ever  have  escaped  from  the 
cage  alive.  Apparently  for  no  reason  what- 
ever and  without  the  slightest  warning  these 
hideous  creatures  sprang  upon  Dayton  on  this 
particular  occasion,  though  he  had  been  in  the 
cage  many  times.  The  expression  of  mingled 
hope,  fear  and  determination  depicted  on  Day- 
ton's countenance  as  he  nobly  fought  his  way 
to  the  rear  of  the  cage  can  never  be  forgotten 
by  any  witness  of  the  thrilling  scene.  Death 
stared  him  in  the  face  and  blood  flowed  in 
streams  from  his  frightful  wounds.  Seem- 
ingly every  portion  of  his  body  was  lacerated. 
At  last  after  a  fearful  battle  he  reached  the 
rear  of  the  cage  and  the  door.  The  latter  was 
quickly  opened,  and  the  brave  fellow  fell 
bleeding  and  exhausted  into  the  arms  of  his 
attendants,  narrowly  escaping  a  death  too  hor- 
rible to  contemplate.  We  succeeded  in  get- 
ting him  to  his  hotel,  where  physicians  were 
called,  but  they  gave  no  hope  of  poor  Charlie's 
recovery.  They  said  the  hyenas  had  done 
their  awful  work  too  thoroughly.  The  citi- 
zens, especially  the  noble  women  of  Win- 
chester, volunteered  their  aid  and  did  every- 
thing in  their  power  for  him.  We  left  him 
with  our  own  doctor  and  in  the  hands  of  these 


ANECDOTES  153 

good  people,  as  we  thought,  to  die.  Notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  his  body  was  so  terribly 
lacerated,  however,  in  a  few  days  Dayton  gave 
signs  of  improvement  and  he  eventually  re- 
covered. Ultimately  he  returned  to  the  show. 

PARROTS    AND    COCKATOOS 

I  have  always  watched  animals  with  a  great 
deal  of  interest,  from  the  bulky  but  docile  ele- 
phant to  the  smallest  bird  that  flies;  indeed,  I 
believe  my  love  for  animals,  especially  the 
horse,  was  the  incentive  that  led  me  to  con- 
tinue so  many  years  in  the  circus  business. 
Although  I  never  had  a  natural  taste  for  the 
circus,  and  for  the  details  connected  therewith, 
still  I  always  enjoyed  organizing  and  putting 
together  different  drawing  attractions.  All  my 
other  work  was  given  to  the  care  of  assistants. 

During  our  exhibitions  in  Fourteenth  Street, 
New  York,  I  became  very  much  attached  to 
many  of  the  birds  and  animals,  and  would 
spend  my  leisure  time  in  playing  with  and 
feeding  them,  besides  studying  their  characters 
and  dispositions,  for  even  among  the  lower 
animals  there  is  character  just  as  there  is  in 
mortals. 

Among  my  collection  of  parrots,  there  was 
a  white  cockatoo.  When  I  entered  the  build- 


i54       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

ing  in  the  morning  ne  would  set  up  such  a 
noise  and  racket,  unless  I  came  immediately  to 
speak  to  him  for  a  few  minutes,  that  he  would 
soon  have  the  entire  menagerie  in  an  uproar — 
the  monkeys  chattering,  the  lions  roaring,  and, 
in  fact,  a  regular  pandemonium.  But  as  soon 
as  I  had  complied  with  the  wishes  of  the  cock- 
atoo, quiet  would  be  restored.  Some  time 
later  when  I  was  in  New  Orleans,  I  received  a 
telegram  announcing  the  Fourteenth  Street  fire 
and  the  complete  destruction  of  the  menagerie. 
These  beautiful  birds  are  very  easily  taught. 
I  once  knew  a  man  named  Prescott  who  had 
trained  one  of  these  white  beauties  to  sing  the 
Star  Spangled  Banner,  to  crow  like  a  rooster, 
bark  like  a  dog,  cry  like  a  child,  and  so  on ;  and 
in  this  way  he  could  entertain  a  crowd  of 
people  for  hours  together.  Unlike  most  of  its 
feathered  brothers,  this  bird  enjoyed  pleasing 
its  master,  and  would  repeat  his  performance 
whenever  called  upon  to  do  so,  and  he  seemed 
to  take  a  pride  in  his  wonderful  acts. 

EDUCATED  DOGS 

At  one  time  in  Fourteenth  Street,  I  had  a 
troop  of  educated  dogs;  one  of  their  acts  was 
in  the  nature  of  a  mock  trial.  One  dog,  a  very 
little  fellow,  steals  a  collar  of  another.  A  trial 


ANECDOTES  155 

takes  place,  in  which  there  are  judge,  and  jury 
advocates.  The  little  culprit  is  convicted  and 
condemned  to  be  hung — which  the  dogs  pro- 
ceed to  do.  The  little  fellow  is  hung  and 
drops  apparently  dead,  is  placed  in  a  hearse 
and  rolled  away  to  the  music  of  the  "Dead 
March."  Several  complaints  were  made 
against  this  by  citizens  and  kind-hearted 
women ;  and  Professor  Bergh,  president  of  the 
Humane  Society,  came  to  me  about  it.  I  had 
the  performance  repeated  for  his  benefit,  and 
further  said  that  it  had  been  repeated  twice  a 
day  for  several  months.  After  the  professor 
saw  that  the  dogs  enjoyed  it,  he  laughed  and 
said  no  more  about  it,  and  nothing  more  was 
heard  from  the  Humane  Society. 

I  have  seen  many  acts  done  by  dogs;  and, 
as  a  rule,  there  is  nothing  to  appeal  to  their 
intelligence;  but  in  this  case  they  certainly 
showed  reasoning  powers.  I  wish  space  would 
permit  me  to  give  my  experience  with  the 
canine  family.  A  short  time  before  I  left  the 
show  business  I  heard  of  a  dog  in  California 
that  could  talk.  I  sent  for  the  owner,  Pro- 
fessor Madden,  and  bargained  for  this  dog. 
When  he  reached  Chicago  I  found  he  could 
actually  say,  "Oh,  no."  Sometimes  it  was 
easier  for  him  to  speak  than  at  others,  and 


i56        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

invariably  he    would  have    some   trouble    in 
talking  the  first  time. 

Of  all  the  dumb  creatures  the  dog  is  by  far 
the  most  faithful  to  his  master,  and  it  is  said  to 
be  the  only  animal  that  has  ever  died  of  grief 
on  his  master's  grave. 

A  WOUNDED  HORSE  IN  THE  GRAND  MARCH 

In  1880  I  met  with  a  very  severe  railroad 
accident,  in  which  many  of  my  valuable  horses 
were  injured;  and  among  them  an  "entry" 
horse  which,  being  of  considerable  value,  I 
ordered  to  be  taken  on  the  train  again,  after 
the  wreck  was  cleared  away ;  but  we  could  not 
use  him  for  several  days  as  he  was  so  bruised 
that  he  presented  a  horrible  appearance.  One 
day,  however,  just  as  the  "grand  entry"  was 
going  into  the  ring,  our  head  groom  was  sur- 
prised at  the  entrance  of  this  horse.  The 
creature  had  dashed  into  the  ring  with  the 
others  of  his  companions,  and|  without  bridle, 
saddle  or  halter,  he  went  through  the  figures 
as  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  doing  before  he 
was  injured.  The  music  was  stopped,  and  our 
groom  wanted  to  have  the  horse  taken  out,  but 
I  refused.  Hearing  the  familiar  music  by 
which  he  had  always  entered  the  ring  and  per- 
formed his  acts,  habit  was  stronger  than  bodily 


ANECDOTES  157 

pain,  and,  unfastening  his  rope  in  some  unac- 
countable way,  he  had  burst  upon  us.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  a  horse  does  know  when  his  par- 
ticular music  strikes  up,  for  I  have  often 
watched  them  at  that  time.  They  will  rear  and 
prance  and  if  secured  will  make  every  endeavor 
to  get  loose.  I  lost  this  horse  later  in  a  wreck 
and  few  similar  losses  have  grieved  me  more. 

Hearing  once  that  Professor  Bartholomew 
had  some  wonderful  horses  I  determined  to 
purchase  them,  although  I  had  really  retired 
from  the  circus  business.  I  saw  the  owner  and 
paid  him  $10,000  for  the  horses  and  exhibited 
them  in  the  New  York  Aquarium,  where  they 
drew  great  crowds.  Among  this  troupe  was 
the  well-known  Nettle,  the  most  beautiful  ani- 
mal I  ever  saw,  being  of  a  cream  color  and 
about  fourteen  hands  high.  He  was  remark- 
able more  particularly  for  his  jumping  feats, 
being  able  to  jump  over  an  eight-foot  gate  and 
six  horses,  doing  this  act  twice  a  day  for  four 
years.  Finally  he  was  able  to  jump  over  a 
gate  and  eight  horses:  but  this  feat  was  too 
great  a  strain  and  I  would  not  allow  it  to  be 
repeated.  Like  a  human  being  he  would  never 
undertake  this  jump  until  he  had  first  exam- 
ined the  horses  carefully  to  see  that  all  was  as 
it  should  be,  and  then,  with  apparent  pride  and 


i58       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

confidence,  he  would  make  his  leap.  The  act 
performed,  he  would  trot  to  his  trainer  with  all 
the  pride  of  one  who  had  accomplished  what 
had  been  expected  of  him. 

INTELLIGENT    BRONCHOS 

I  once  concluded  that  it  would  be  good  policy 
to  buy  a  herd  of  untamed  bronchos  and  edu- 
cate them  for  the  circus  business.  Thereupon 
I  hired  a  young  fellow  named  George  Costello 
and  sent  him  to  Colorado,  Texas  and  New 
Mexico  in  search  of  handsome  bronchos  and 
Pintos,  as  this  was  the  same  breed  of  horses 
that  I  first  owned.  They  are  certainly  the 
wildest  and  hardest  to  break,  but  with  these 
untamed  animals  I  concluded  to  make  a  start. 
It  was  more  difficult  work  to  find  exactly  what 
I  wanted  than  we  had  hoped.  Finally,  at 
Pendleton,  Oregon,  we  found  a  herd  of  about 
3,000  head  that  were  white  and  spotted  and 
belonged  to  a  tribe  of  Indians.  We  bought 
about  forty  of  them  and  then  shipped  them  to 
Chicago,  where  we  sold  all  but  sixteen.  We 
engaged  a  celebrated  trainer  and  built  a  train- 
ing stable,  where  we  watched  them  work. 

The  bronchos  at  first  refused  to  take  the  food 
which  we  gave  them,  and  would  blow  the  oats 
out  of  the  trough ;  but  hunger  finally  subdued 


ANECDOTES  159 

them.  They  were  very  curious,  investigating 
everything  around  them,  and  it  did  not  take 
long  to  learn  the  customs  of  civilization. 
They  not  only  learned  to  eat  tame  hay,  and 
whinny  for  their  food,  but  each  horse  also 
learned  to  know  his  own  name  and  those  of  his 
companions.  We  would  place  these  horses  in 
a  row  and  call  out  the  name  of  one  of  them. 
If  he  did  not  immediately  respond  the  other 
bronchos  would  bite  him  to  remind  him  that  he 
should  obey  orders. 

As  is  usual  to  a  herd,  this  band  of  ponies 
looked  to  one  of  their  number  as  the  leader. 
The  leader's  name  was  Duke,  and  when  the 
herd  was  turned  loose  in  the  yard  for  exercise 
Duke  was  evidently  commander.  In  my  ex- 
perience with  these  wild  animals  I  became 
convinced  that  they  had  different  intonations 
to  express  different  feelings — that  they  have  a 
language  of  their  own.  Their  whinnys  when 
happy,  when  frightened,  when  angry  and  as  a 
warning  differed  greatly,  and  by  careful  study 
could  be  easily  distinguished. 

THE    KING    OF    THE    HERD 

Mr.  Cross,  a  celebrated  animal  painter,  who 
owns  a  ranch  in  Montana,  told  me  that  his 
horses  had,  at  one  time,  disappeared  in  great 


160        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

numbers,  much  to  his  astonishment  and  won- 
der. He  finally  discovered  that  whenever  a 
herd  of  wild  horses,  headed  by  a  certain 
spirited  stallion,  came  near  the  ranch,  some  of 
his  own  horses  were  sure  to  be  missed.  Setting 
a  watch  over  them  he  found  that  the  big  hand- 
some stallion  was  the  thief.  This  magnificent 
animal  would  approach  the  tame  horses  and  by 
some  mute  eloquence  would  induce  them  to 
follow  him.  Mr.  Cross  determined  to  capture 
this  noble  beast  and  thief,  and  procured  the 
best  lasso  throwers.  After  following  the 
stallion  for  many  days  they  were  compelled  to 
give  up  the  chase.  Finally  they  decided  to 
shoot  the  animal  if  he  again  interfered  with  the 
tame  animals.  Some  weeks  passed,  but  no 
more  horses  were  lost.  Suddenly,  however,  a 
number  were  again  gone.  With  great  com- 
punctions of  conscience,  Mr.  Cross  at  length 
decided  that  the  leader  must  be  shot.  His 
death  struggles  were  noble — he  died  as  befitted 
a  great  chief  whose  power,  strength  and 
beauty  had  made  him  the  leader  of  his  kind. 
Next  to  the  dog  I  believe  the  horse  to  be  the 
most  intelligent  of  creatures. 

AN  ELEPHANT'S  HUMOR 

The     humor    of    elephants    is    sometimes 
almost  as  remarkable  as  their  intelligence.     In 


ANECDOTES  161 

1887  I  purchased  an  elephant  in  New  York  to 
send  to  Australia,  and  as  we  were  in  a  great 
hurry  to  catch  the  steamer  from  San  Francisco, 
I  arranged  to  have  the  animal  brought  as  far 
west  as  Chicago  by  passenger  train  instead  of 
freight.  He  was  loaded  in  a  special  car  which 
was  placed  just  behind  the  baggage  car,  and  in 
due  time  started  from  the  depot  in  New  York. 
Shortly  after  leaving  Albany  the  conductor  was 
surprised  to  have  the  bell  rope  pulled  violently. 
The  train,  of  course,  stopped,  but  the  conduc- 
tor could  not  find  that  anything  was  wrong  or 
discover  the  man  who  had  pulled  the  rope. 
Another  start  was  made,  and  when  nearing 
Syracuse  a  second  violent  tugging  brought  the 
train  to  a  stop.  The  conductor  instructed  the 
brakeman  to  keep  strict  watch  on  the  passen- 
gers, thinking  all  the  time  that  some  one  had 
been  playing  a  joke  on  him.  Nearing  Roches- 
ter, however,  the  same  thing  occurred  again,  to 
the  great  fright  of  some  of  the  passengers, 
notably  one  old  lady,  who  declared  the  train  to 
be  haunted,  and  averred  that  spirit  forms  were 
tugging  at  the  rope.  As  the  rope  continued  to 
be  pulled  thorough  investigations  were  now 
made  and  the  train  crew  experienced  little 
difficulty  in  tracing  the  cause  of  the  trouble  to 
the  elephant.  On  opening  the  door  of  the  last 


162        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

car  that  animal  was  discovered  sitting  on  his 
haunches  and  deliberately  pulling  the  cord,  and 
the  elephant  seemed  to  derive  as  much  pleasure 
from  it  as  a  child  would  from  a  new  toy.  The 
passengers  were  reassured  and  the  old  lady  was 
convinced  of  her  error  when  she  learned  that 
the  spirit  form  that  pulled  the  cord  weighed 
about  three  tons. 

In  India  where  elephants  are  kept  at  all 
military  barracks  for  transportation  purposes, 
it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  officers  to 
leave  their  children  in  the  elephants'  charge 
for  hours  together,  the  huge  animals  taking 
the  most  tender  care  of  their  little  friends. 
Elephants  have  a  great  dread  of  rodents  and 
even  insects.  The  presence  of  a  rat  or  mouse 
will  greatly  excite  them,  and  even  the  gnats 
or  fleas  annoy  them  exceedingly. 

One  of  our  largest  elephants  took  quite  a 
fancy  to  the  son  of  a  rider,  and  the  boy  used 
to  spend  every  afternoon  in  the  menagerie 
lying  on  the  hay  close  to  the  animal.  The  lad 
never  displayed  the  slightest  fear,  and  the  ele- 
phant invariably  showed  its  pleasure  when  its 
pet  came  inside  the  inclosure.  It  would 
entwine  its  trunk  around  him  and  gently  draw 
him  close,  then  settle  back  in  a  recumbent 
position,  allowing  the  child  to  take  whatever 


ANECDOTES  163 

liberty  he  liked.  The  pair  attracted  great 
attention  and  were  called  "Beauty  and  the 
Beast." 

ZULUS    IN    LONDON 

But  it  is  not  always  animals  that  make  the 
success  of  a  circus.  An  unfamiliar  type  of  the 
human  species  will  occasionally  make  the  for- 
tune of  a  showman.  Mr.  N.  Berhens,  one  of 
my  ablest  agents  and  a  great  traveler,  at  the 
time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Zulu  war  was 
connected  with  the  Royal  Westminster  Aqua- 
rium in  London,  an  institution  at  that  time 
celebrated.  These  Zulus  had  made  such  a 
bold  resistance  to  the  British  government  that 
the  excitement  ran  high  and  the  press  of  the 
world  contained  daily  reports  of  England's 
conflict  with  this  now  subdued  people.  Their 
bravery  in  battle  and  gallant  defense  of  their 
homes  attracted  widespread  attention  and  made 
them  objects  of  deep  interest  and  curiosity. 
Being  satisfied  that  their  exhibition  would  be 
everywhere  heralded  with  approval,  he  deter- 
mined to  visit  Africa,  although  at  the  risk  of 
his  life,  and  secure  a  band  of  these  sable  sons 
of  the  tropics,  that  the  world  might  know  more 
of  their  laws,  customs  and  characteristics.  He 
reached  Africa  after  a  very  perilous  voyage 


164        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

early  in  the  spring  of  1878,  first  visiting  Dur- 
ban, the  headquarters  of  the  English  army  and 
the  coast  outlet  to  Zululand.  Letters  of  intro- 
duction to  the  British  officers  and  the  experi- 
ence of  three  previous  trips  to  that  country 
soon  placed  him  in  the  way  of  attaining  his 
object.  First  securing  the  services  of  an 
interpreter  and  buying  his  horses  and  supplies 
he  followed  in  the  rear  of  the  columns  of  the 
British  army  en  route  for  "Ulundi,"  the  royal 
Kraal  of  King  Cetewayo  of  Zululand. 

When  the  Tugela  river  was  reached  he  was 
surprised  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  what 
proved  to  be  a  band  of  about  four  hundred 
Zulu  men,  women  and  children,  under  the 
leadership  of  Oham,  brother  of  King  Cetewayo 
and  lieutenant-general  of  the  Zulu  army. 
They  had  come  to  surrender  to  the  British 
authorities,  having  rebelled  against  the  rule  of 
King  Cetewayo,  who  [was  then  in  the  British 
prison  at  Cape  Town,  Africa.  This  surrender 
was  instigated  for  revenge  growing  out  of  the 
subjugation  of  Oham,  by  the  Zulu  king  in  a 
strife  for  the  rulership  of  the  Zulu  people. 

This  band  of  natives  contained  three  genuine 
Zulu  princesses  and  the  daring  chief  Incomo. 
Negotiations  were  at  once  begun,  and  through 
the  influence  of  the  British  officers  were  finally 


ANECDOTES  165 

concluded.  Being  at  the  mercy  of  their  cap- 
tors a  reasonable  consideration  was  agreed 
•upon.  The  following  day  the  Prince  Imperial 
of  France  was  slain  by  the  formidable  assigais 
only  a  few  miles  from  where  he  was  stationed. 
On  hearing  of  his  death  the  Zulus  exhibited 
signs  of  sincere  sorrow,  as  he  was  regarded 
with  great  admiration  on  account  of  his  valor. 
It  is  characteristic  of  this  tribe  to  admire  and 
applaud  courage  in  their  opponents,  so  much 
so,  indeed,  that  they  seem  to  take  pleasure  in 
acknowledging  their  masters  after  defeat. 

Arrangements  were  at  once  made  for  their 
voyage.  At  first  the  Zulus  were  frightened  at 
the  idea  of  going  on  board  a  ship  and  refused 
to  go  to  the  "white  man's  country"  unless  they 
could  walk.  Further  persuasion,  however, 
induced  them  to  yield,  and  they  agreed  to 
undertake  the  voyage.  They  embarked  at 
Durban  in  May,  1878,  on  board  the  royal  mail 
steamer  ' '  Balmoral  Castle, ' '  en  route  for  Lon- 
don. The  length  of  the  voyage  and  the 
absence  of  land  filled  them  with  superstition 
and  fear,  and  they  insisted  that  the  captain  had 
lost  his  way;  that  their  food  would  soon  be 
gone  and  themselves  thrown  into  the  sea. 
Indeed,  so  excited  did  they  become  that  they 
visited  the  ship  officers  in  a  body  and  insisted 


166        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

on  knowing  their  whereabouts.  It  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  they  were  pacified;  they 
were  all  violently  seasick  and  believed  they 
were  under  the  influence  of  the  "evil  one." 

This  embassy  consisted  of  three  Zulu  prin- 
cesses, a  Zulu  baby,  the  celebrated  chief  Incomo 
and  twenty-three  swarthy  warriors.  Their 
arrival  in  London  was  greeted  by  over  one 
hundred  thousand  people  on  the  docks  and  as 
far  up  the  street  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
Deafening  cheers  ascended  as  they  passed 
through  the  crowd,  many  going  so  far  as  to  pat 
them  on  the  back  in  recognition  of  their  brav- 
ery. Anonymous  letters  were  received  threat- 
ening death  if  they  were  exhibited. 

Mr.  Cross,  Home  Secretary  of  England, 
issued  an  order  prohibiting  their  exhibition, 
but  public  opinion  was  so  much  in  favor  of 
their  being  shown  that  the  authorities  were 
defied,  and  they  were  placed  on  exhibition  at 
the  Royal  Westminster  Aquarium,  London, 
three  times  a  day  for  two  years  and  four 
months.  All  London  came  to  see  them. 
Their  performance  consisted  of  songs  and 
dances  commemorative  of  marriage,  death, 
hunting,  joy  and  sorrow,  changes  of  the  moon, 
rain,  sunshine  and  war.  They  gave  exhibi- 
tions of  the  throwing  of  the  assagais,  that 


ANECDOTES  167 

formidable  weapon  which  is  thrown  with  uner- 
ring precision  and  with  a  force  capable  of 
penetrating  a  horse  at  a  distance  of  four  hun- 
dred yards. 

The  making  of  fire  by  means  of  friction, 
produced  by  rubbing  together  two  pieces  of 
wood,  was  practiced  nightly.  Here  one  could 
see  the  exhibitions  of  the  witch  doctor,  his 
means  of  ascertaining  disease  and  his  method 
of  curing.  They  showed  also  their  methods 
of  fencing  and  of  conducting  battles,  their 
sports,  pastimes  and  strange  characteristics. 
Among  their  strange  customs  was  that  of 
offering  prayer  to  their  king  every  time  they 
smoked.  Their  marriage  relations  are  strange. 
When  a  man  becomes  enamored  of  a  girl  he 
immediately  begins  negotiations  with  the  par- 
ents for  her  purchase,  the  price  being  from  six 
to  ten  cows,  according  to  her  beauty  and  age. 
A  cow  is  worth  about  five  dollars  in  our 
money,  so  a  pretty  and  attractive  Zulu  maiden 
is  worth  from  forty  to  fifty  dollars.  A  man  of 
any  other  nationality  is  at  liberty  to  buy  them 
as  if  he  were  a  Zulu.  A  man  may  have  as 
many  wives  as  he  has  cows  to  purchase  them 
with.  Their  marital  laws  are  very  strict  and 
worthy  the  recognition  of  many  races  graded 
higher  in  the  scale  of  civilization. 


168       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

It  was  the  intention  to  bring  this  group  to 
America  to  join  my  show,  but  owing  to  their 
enormous  success  in  London  they  were  not 
brought  until  early  in  the  spring  of  1881. 
After  their  arrival  in  this  country  they  were 
visited  by  many  African  missionaries.  In  this 
way  the  whereabouts  of  two  missionary  families 
supposed  to  have  been  killed  during  their  war 
were  ascertained. 


IX 


TRAINING   ANIMALS   AND    PER- 
FORMERS 

The  awe  inspired  in  the  breast  of  the  average 
countryman  by  the  "daring  act"  of  the  lion- 
tamer  is  well  founded.  Long  years  of  famil- 
iarity with  this  feature  of  the  show  business 
have  not  served  to  dampen  my  sense  of  ad- 
miration for  the  grit  of  a  man  who  does  not 
flinch  to  enter  the  cage  of  any  fierce  animal 
and  prove  man's  mastery  over  the  brute  crea- 
tion. In  justification  of  this  sentiment  I  have 
only  to  point  to  the  professional  animal-train- 
ers of  long:  experience.  If  there  is  one  of 
them  who  does  not  bear  on  his  body  the  marks 
of  his  encounters  with  his  savage  pupils  he  is  a 
rare  exception  to  the  rule.  The  whole  fra- 
ternity is  physically  ragged  and  tattered — torn 
and  mutilated  by  the  teeth  of  beasts  they  have 
trained.  I  have  never  ceased  to  marvel  that 
men  will  deliberately  choose  to  follow  the  sub- 
jugation of  animals  as  a  profession,  particularly 
when  they  have  only  to  look  upon  the  veterans 
in  the  business  to  behold  a  ghastly  and  dis- 
169 


i;o        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

couraging  array  of  ragged  ears,  of  split  noses, 
of  shredded  limbs  and  lacerated  trunks.  But 
at  these  substantial  warnings  the  novice  and 
the  past-master  in  the  art  of  "working"  ani- 
mals alike  only  laugh  and  scout  the  idea  of 
danger  or  dread.  At  least,  this  is  their  atti- 
tude in  private  conversation,  when  not  attempt- 
ing to  make  an  impression  on  the  minds  of 
their  auditors. 

If  all  animals  subjected  to  training  were  even 
in  disposition,  and  did  not  have  their  ugly 
moods,  the  same  as  their  human  lords,  the 
principal  element  of  danger  to  trainers  would 
be  removed.  Unfortunately,  it  is  the  uni- 
versal testimony  of  the  men  who  have  devoted 
their  lives  to  the  training  of  fierce  creatures 
that  the  most  docile,  obedient  and  friendly 
carnivorous  creature  is  sure  to  be  in  an  ugly 
humor  sooner  or  later,  and  then  is  the  great 
time  of  test.  These  sudden,  unexpected  and 
abnormal  moods  in  the  animals  handled  are 
responsible  for  having  sent  scores  of  good 
trainers  to  early  graves. 

THE    PERILS    OF    A    TRAINER'S    LIFE 

Let  us  suppose  an  animal  to  be  even-tem- 
pered. This  means  he  is  always  at  his  maxi- 
mum of  ugliness.  He  shows  every  day  the 


TRAINING  171 

worst  that  is  in  him,  and  the  trainer  knows  the 
limit  of  what  to  expect  in  that  direction.  But 
animals  are  not  constituted  that  way.  They 
are  generally  on  their  good  behavior,  or  at 
least  have  an  astonishing  reserve  of  ferocity  to 
be  vented  on  the  hapless  trainer  when  the  day 
of  abnormal  ill-humor  comes — provided,  of 
course,  the  trainer  is  not  discerning  enough  to 
detect  the  gathering  storm. 

In  no  other  profession  is  eternal  vigilance  so 
surely  the  price  of  safety.  There  is  nothing 
more  certain  than  the  fate  of  the  trainer  who 
once  relaxes  the  intensity  of  his  vigilance. 
Just  as  surely  as  he  throws  himself  off  guard 
the  animal  he  is  working  will  get  him.  This  is 
an  accepted  rule  among  those  who  train  and 
perform  with  animals.  Of  course,  it  often  ap- 
pears to  the  outsider  that  the  men  handling 
ferocious  animals  are  off  their  guard  and  non- 
chalantly indifferent  to  the  creatures  in  the 
cage.  But  the  experienced  animal-man  knows 
better.  The  fact  that  a  trainer  or  performer 
allows  two  or  three  lions  to  pass  behind  his 
back  might  seem  to  indicate  that  watchfulness 
is  not  necessary,  and  that  creatures  naturally 
ferocious  may  at  least  sometimes  be  put  abso- 
lutely on  their  good  behavior — trusted  with  a 
man's  life  without  being  subjected  to  the 


172        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

slightest  surveillance.  In  nine  cases  of  every 
ten  a  momentary  adherence  to  this  departure 
would  result  in  disaster. 

WHERE  STEADY  NERVES  ARE  IN  DEMAND 

The  best  men  of  the  profession  I  have  ever 
known  have  all  assured  me  that  the  stupidest 
animal  is  quicker  to  detect  the  slightest  relaxa- 
tion of  a  trainer's  watchfulness  than  is  the 
keenest  trainer  to  observe  the  abnormal  and 
hostile  mood  of  his  pupils.  For  this  reason  no 
trainer  or  performer  should  be  allowed  to  enter 
a  cage  unless  he  is  in  a  normal  frame  of  mind — 
sober,  in  full  command  of  all  his  faculties,  and 
not  subject  to  any  distracting  influence. 

Most  of  the  tragedies  of  the  profession  are 
chargeable  to  a  disobedience  to  this  rule.  The 
unfailing  brute  instinct  at  once  detects  the  fact 
that  the  trainer  has  let  down  the  bars  of  his 
mind,  and  then  comes  the  long-delayed  at- 
tack! 

Never  do  I  tire  of  watching  a  good  trainer 
work  his  animals,  especially  those  fresh  from 
their  native  wilds  and  full  of  snap  and  spirit. 
What  sport  more  splendid  and  royal  can  man 
imagine  than  that  of  placing  his  life  in  im- 
minent peril  for  the  purpose  of  putting  a  wild 


TRAINING  173 

beast — a  creature  far  his  superior  in  strength, 
in  swiftness  of  movement,  and  in  all-round 
fighting  power — in  complete  subjection  to  his 
will!  It  is  truly  a  sport  for  a  king! 

CAPTURED  ANIMALS  PREFERRED  TO  CAGE-BORN 

The  only  universal  rule  for  working  animals 
recognized  by  all  trainers  is  this :  First,  shoiv 
the  creature  what  you  wish  done ;  then  make 
him  do  it.  Easily  said,  but  sometimes  almost 
impossible  in  practice.  I  have  yet  to  find  any 
other  line  of  human  effort  demanding  such  un- 
wearying patience  and  application,  shifty  tact 
and  unflagging  alertness.  All  of  these  mental 
qualities  are  brought  into  activity  during  every 
moment  that  a  trainer  is  working  his  animals. 
And  not  for  an  instant  may  he  safely  slacken 
his  courage  or  control.  A  stout  heart  is  his 
only  safety.  To  go  into  a  cage  in  a  state  of 
fear  is  recognized  among  these  men  as  a  fool- 
hardy undertaking. 

My  observation  is  that  trainers  almost  uni- 
versally prefer  captured  animals  to  those  born 
in  captivitv,  so  far  as  working  purposes  are 
concerned.  This  preference  is  founded  on 
practical  experience — for  your  animal  trainer 
is  little  inclined  to  theorize  or  experiment  in 


!74       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

his  work.  The  answer  which  my  trainers  have 
invariably  returned  to  questions  on  this  point 
of  animal  nature  has  been :  The  wild  animal  is 
afraid  of  man,  recognizes  him  as  a  strange, 
dangerous  enemy,  and  is  willing  to  make  a  safe 
retreat  from  him.  The  carnivorous  beast  born 
in  captivity  is  accustomed  to  the  daily  sight  of 
man,  and  has  not  the  wholesome  and  instinc- 
tive fear  of  him  that  dwells  in  the  breast  of  the 
free-born  denizen  of  the  jungle.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  cage-born  creature  seems  to  retain 
all  the  mean,  treacherous  and  savage  traits  of 
its  race. 

Then  the  trainers  declare  that  the  jungle- 
reared  animals  are  more  intelligent  and  active, 
and  therefore  make  better  performers.  This  I 
have  no  reason  to  doubt.  Leopards  are  the  least 
in  favor  among  trainers,  and  the  latter  prefer 
to  undertake  the  education  of  lions  rather  than 
tigers,  as  the  former  have  more  stability  of 
disposition,  and  lack  the  element  of  treachery 
which  seems  so  universally  a  characteristic  of 
cat  nature. 

THE  EDUCATION  OF  A  YOUNG  JAGUAR 

The  first  active  step  which  a  trainer  takes  in 
the  education  of  an  animal  which  has  never  been 
handled  is  to  test  its  temper.  I  recall  very 


TRAINING  175 

distinctly  watching  an  excellent  trainer  work- 
ing a  leopard  and  a  jaguar  from  start  to  finish. 
No  man  had  ever  been  into  the  cage  along 
with  these  vicious  brutes  before  "Frenchy,"  as 
we  called  this  crack  trainer,  laughingly  took  up 
his  tools  and  slipped  gracefully  through  the 
iron  door  which  closed  behind  him  with  a 
sharp  bang.  Realizing  that  these  animals, 
which  were  full  grown,  belonged  to  the  most 
spiteful  and  treacherous  of  the  cat  kind,  I 
scrutinized  the  face  of  Frenchy  to  see  if  I 
could  possibly  detect  the  slightest  sign  of  in- 
ward anxiety  or  disturbance.  Not  the  slight- 
est evidence  could  I  see  to  indicate  that  he 
approached  his  dangerous  task  with  a  particle 
more  excitement  than  any  business  man  feels 
in  going  to  his  daily  work. 

As  he  slipped  into  the  cage  he  thrust  before 
him  an  ordinary  kitchen  chair  of  light,  hard 
wood.  This  was  held  in  his  left  hand  by  grip- 
ping two  of  the  central  spindles  of  the  back, 
thereby  obtaining  an  excellent  purchase  which 
enabled  him  easily  to  hold  the  chair  out- 
stretched with  its  legs  pointed  directly  at  the 
animals.  In  his  right  hand  he  carried  a  short 
iron  training-rod.  The  only  other  article 
which  he  used  in  his  first  lesson  was  a  stout, 
movable  bracket,  which  could  be  instantly 


176        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

hooked  upon  any  of  the  horizontal  bars  which 
extended  the  length  of  the  cage  in  front. 

The  instant  the  trainer  faced  his  pupils  there 
was  a  regular  feline  explosion — a  medley  of 
snarls,  growls  and  hisses.  And  the  way  those 
spotted  paws  slapped  and  cuffed  the  rounds  of 
the  extended  chair  which  served  as  a  shield  to 
Frenchy's  legs  was  something  to  be  remem- 
bered. Never  before  had  I  seen  such  a  start- 
ling exhibition  of  feline  quickness  as  in  this 
preliminary  skirmish  between  master  and 
pupils.  The  latter's  claws  seemed  to  be 
everywhere  in  a  moment  and  played  a  lively 
tattoo  on  the  shield  and  against  the  point  of 
the  rod  with  which  the  trainer  protected  him- 
self. During  all  this  excitement  the  trainer 
was  as  calm  as  if  standing  safely  outside  the 
cage.  However,  he  did  make  some  lively 
thrusts  with  his  rod  as  the  leopard  attempted 
to  dash  under  the  legs  of  the  chair. 

While  one  of  the  beasts  was  engaged  in 
carrying  on  an  offensive  warfare,  the  other 
would  invariably  attempt  to  sneak  behind  the 
trainer.  How  alert  the  latter  was  to  the 
movements  of  the  creature  which  apparently 
claimed  little  of  his  attention  was  impressed  on 
me  by  the  fact  that  every  time  the  crouching 
animal  attempted  to  steal  past  the  trainer  he 


TRAINING  177 

was  met  with  the  quick,  sidewise  thrusts  of  the 
prod,  which  sent  him  back  spitting  and  hissing 
into  the  corner. 

THE  LEOPARDS  AT  KINDERGARTEN 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  the  leopard  and  the 
jaguar  seemed  to  realize  that  they,  and  not  the 
man,  were  on  the  defensive.  Their  savage 
dashes  were  less  frequent,  and  they  were  more 
inclined  to  crouch  close  to  the  floor  and  lash 
their  tails  in  sullen  defiance.  Then  it  was  that 
Frenchy  began  his  first  attempt  at  teaching 
them.  Hooking  the  movable  bracket  upon 
one  of  the  lower  rounds  about  three  feet  from 
the  floor  of  the  cage,  he  made  a  forward  move- 
ment toward  the  animals,  veering  a  little  to 
the  side  opposite  the  bracket.  The  creatures 
had  long  been  attempting  to  get  past  him,  and 
now  their  opportunity  had  apparently  come. 

Together  they  made  a  rush  to  run  under  the 
projecting  bracket.  Quick  as  a  flash,  how- 
ever, the  trainer  was  back  again  in  his  old 
place,  and  the  head  of  the  foremost  animal 
struck  the  rounds  of  the  chair.  This  checked 
the  leopard's  progress  for  a  moment,  but  the 
creature  was  not  given  a  jab  of  the  rod  as 
before.  Instead,  the  chair  was  slightly  with- 
drawn, with  the  result  that  the  spotted  cat 


i78        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

instantly  bounded  upon  the  narrow  bracket — 
precisely  the  result  at  which  the  trainer  had 
been  aiming. 

Before  the  leopard  was  fully  aware  of  what 
was  transpiring,  Frenchy  reached  forth  his 
training-rod  and  rubbed  it  caressingly  along 
the  creature's  back  from  "head  to  tail.  Of 
course  the  animal  struck  out  spitefully  with 
its  paw,  but  the  blows  were  received  by  the 
chair  and  did  no  harm,  while  the  trainer  had 
been  able  to  bestow  upon  his  ferocious  pupil  a 
caressing  touch  of  approval. 

Even  at  that  early  stage  in  the  education  of 
the  animal  I  fancied  I  could  see  an  understand- 
ing of  this  commendatory  stroke.  Certainly 
within  a  week  this  sign  was  clearly  understood, 
and  never  did  one  of  the  animals  leap  upon  the 
bracket  without  receiving  this  token  of  ap- 
proval. Before  Frenchy  came  out  of  the  cage 
on  the  occasion  of  this  first  experience  with 
these  two  creatures  his  chair  was  splintered 
beyond  repair.  Backing  out  as  deftly  as  he 
had  entered,  he  leaned  up  against  one  of  the 
posts  in  the  winter  quarters  and  remarked : 

"Those  cats  will  make  good  performers. 
They've  got  just  enough  fight  in  them.  I 
don't  mind  working  a  leopard  that's  been  cap- 
tured, but  I  don't  want  anything  to  do  with 


TRAINING  179 

cats  that  have  been  born  in  a  cage.  By  the 
time  an  animal  has  cuffed  one  chair  to  pieces  I 
can  generally  size  him  up  and  get  at  his  dispo- 
sition. I  don't  mind  a  creature  that's  ready 
for  war  right  at  the  start.  The  sulky,  sullen 
brutes  are  the  ones  that  keep  a  trainer  in  a 
perpetual  state  of  suspicion. ' ' 

HOW    THEY    PUNISH    UNRULY    PUPILS 

Most  of  the  training  is  done  while  the  ani- 
mals are  in  winter  quarters,  the  cages  being 
generally  arranged  in  a  semicircle  or  along  the 
wall,  while  the  center  of  the  main  room  is 
occupied  by  a  big  ring  or  circular  space  in- 
closed by  a  very  strong  and  high  fence  of  iron 
bars.  At  first  the  animals  are  worked  in  their 
cages,  later  in  the  ring.  Lounging  about  in 
front  of  the  cages  is  a  man  with  a  long  iron  rod 
having  a  sharp  point.  The  duty  of  this  guard 
is  to  keep  watch  of  all  the  cages  where  animals 
are  being  worked,  and  to  be  ready  to  come  to 
the  instant  relief  of  any  of  the  trainers  who 
happen  to  get  into  trouble.  Occasionally  he 
assists  them  from  the  outside  in  various  ways ; 
as,  for  instance,  by  slipping  his  rod  between 
the  bars  and  heading  off  an  animal  which  is 
attempting  to  sneak  out  of  doing  his  trick.  In 
the  main,  however,  he*is  there  to  do  heroic 
service  in  times  of  emergency. 


i8o        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

Should  a  lion,  tiger  or  any  other  savage  crea- 
ture get  a  trainer  down  or  fasten  its  teeth  or 
claws  into  his  body,  the  watchful  guard  on  the 
outside  is  expected  to  plunge  his  spear  into  the 
animal,  or  get  into  the  cage  with  hot  irons,  if 
necessary.  The  use  of  heated  irons  is,  of 
course,  only  justifiable  in  cases  of  extreme 
peril,  but  more  than  one  trainer's  life  has  been 
saved  by  recourse  to  this  weapon,  which 
quickly  cows  an  infuriated  creature  which  has 
had  a  taste  of  blood  when  nothing  else  will 
avail. 

PUNISHMENT    OF    TREACHEROUS    BEASTS 

I  have  already  cited  one  cardinal  rule  recog- 
nized by  all  animal  workers.  There  is  one 
other  just  as  universally  accepted  by  the  fra- 
ternity of  trainers.  This  is,  that  any  animal 
which  has  inflicted  injury  on  a  trainer  must  be 
punished  until  completely  subjugated.  This 
punishment  must  be  given,  if  possible,  by  the 
one  whom  the  creature  has  injured. 

No  doubt  more  than  one  trainer  who  has 
been  half  killed  by  a  treacherous  animal  has 
been  inclined  to  overlook  this  chastisement 
after  recovering  from  his  injuries.  This,  how- 
ever, is  regarded  as  professional  treachery,  for 
it  is  practically  certain  that  the  rebellious  ani- 
mal that  is  not  chastised  in  this  manner  will 


TRAINING  181 

kill  the  next  man  who  enters  its  cage.  To 
neglect  to  show  the  brute  which  has  injured 
you  that  you  are  its  master  is  therefore, 
according  to  the  ethics  of  the  profession,  a 
deed  of  cowardice,  and  a  sure  way  of  bringing 
disaster  upon  any  other  person  having  the 
hardihood  to  trust  himself  in  the  power  of  an 
animal  that  has  "downed"  its  trainer. 

Of  course  some  trainers  are  killed  outright, 
and  others  are  so  disabled  in  severe  encounters 
that  they  are  absolutely  unable  to  continue  in 
the  service.  Then  the  duty  of  inflicting  the 
chastisement  falls  upon  a  new  man,  and  you 
may  rest  assured  he  never  looks  forward  to  the 
job  with  any  particular  pleasure.  There  is 
but  one  course,  however,  and  that  is  to  beat 
the  creature  until  it  howls  for  mercy.  Occa- 
sionally an  animal  famed  for  its  splendid 
performances  is  suddenly  and  without  any 
apparent  reason  retired  from  the  program. 
As  a  performing  animal  is  worth  many  times 
as  much  as  one  that  has  not  been  trained,  this 
would  seem  a  strange  and  unbusinesslike 
course  on  the  part  of  the  management. 

The  outsider  would  immediately  ask:  "Why 
not  continue  the  performance  with  this  animal 
so  long  as  it  does  not  kill  a  man  or  conduct 
itself  more  savagely  than  many  others  of  its 


i82        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

kind  which  have  the  confidence  of  trainers  and 
performers?" 

The  answer  is  very  simple :  The  man  hand- 
ling the  animal  and  knowing  well  its  character 
has  been  able  to  discern  a  radical  change  in  its 
disposition.  He  declares  that  the  brute  is  no 
longer  to  be  trusted,  and  any  wise  and  humane 
showman  who  receives  this  kind  of  a  warning 
from  a  reliable  and  efficient  trainer  or  per- 
former will  retire  the  brute  in  question  to  a 
cage  and  leave  it  there.  On  the  other  hand, 
some  animals  which  have  tasted  blood,  and 
even  "killed  their  man,"  are  continued  in  the 
service.  Why?  Because  the  trainer  who  goes 
in  to  chastise  them  believes  that  he  has  been 
able  to  beat  the  animal  into  a  permanent  state 
of  penitence,  humility  and  wholesome  fear, 
and  to  effectually  obliterate  the  sense  of  tri- 
umph in  the  mind  of  the  creature. 

A  SINGLE-HAND  FIGHT  WITH  FIVE    LIONS 

Occasionally  a  foolish  and  intermeddling 
spectator  will  endeavor  to  show  his  brilliancy 
by  experimenting  with  the  animals.  More 
than  once  this  tendency  has  well-nigh  cost  a 
performer  his  life.  I  recall  one  instance  when 
a  performer  was  doing  an  act  in  a  cage  con- 
taining five  lions.  He  had  just  begun  his 
work,  and  the  lions  had  taken  their  positions. 


EVERY  LION  GAVE  A  ROAR  AND  MADE  A  WILD  LEAP.' 


TRAINING  183 

In  the  middle  of  the  cage,  facing  him,  was  one 
large  lion,  and  at  either  end  sat  two  others. 
Of  course  a  big  crowd  had  collected  in  front  of 
the  cage  and  was  pressing  heavily  against  the 
guard  ropes.  Suddenly  a  countryman  of  the 
smart  kind  was  seized  with  a  desire  to  distin- 
guish himself  and  attract  a  little  attention. 
Slipping  inside  the  ropes,  he  stooped  down  and 
took  up  the  ragged  little  dog  that  was  crouch- 
ing at  his  heels.  The  instant  he  lifted  the  cur 
up  to  the  level  of  the  cage  every  lion  gave  out 
a  roar  and  made  a  wild  leap  for  the  yellow 
mongrel. 

For  a  few  moments  the  performer  was  com- 
pletely lost  to  view,  buried  underneath  the 
writhing  bodies  of  the  infuriated  lions.  Of 
course  the  animal  men  outside  made  a  rush  for 
the  cage  door,  but  before  they  could  reach  it 
with  their  irons  in  hand  the  plucky  performer 
was  on  his  feet  again  and  fighting  his  own  bat- 
tle. A  tooth  or  a  claw  had  split  his  nose  and 
upper  lip,  and  the  tattered  condition  of  his 
clothing  indicated  that  he  had  suffered 
severely.  Although  his  face  was  bathed  in 
blood,  he  stood  his  ground  and  plied  his  rod 
on  the  heads  and  noses  of  the  growling  beasts 
until  they  were  momentarily  driven  back.  But 
they  had  tasted  blood  and  were  furious.  Be- 


i84      SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

fore  he  could  reach  the  door  they  were  at  him 
again,  and  in  the  onslaught  his  right  arm  and 
hip  were  frightfully  lacerated.  His  grit,  how- 
ever, was  indomitable,  and  he  struck  and 
jabbed  right  and  left  like  a  gladiator.  Finally 
the  howls  of  pain  from  the  lions  revealed  the 
fact  that  he  was  getting  the  upper  hand  of 
them,  and  at  last  they  were  driven  howling  and 
whining  into  the  corners  of  the  cage  and  he 
backed  out  of  the  door.  No  sooner  was  he 
safely  outside  the  cage  than  he  became  uncon- 
scious. 

It  was  a  good  thing  for  the  countryman 
whose  folly  had  stirred  up  the  lions  that  he 
contrived  to  make  his  escape  from  the  grounds 
before  the  circus  men  got  hold  of  him.  This 
incident  is  simply  typical  of  hundreds  of  others 
perhaps  more  interesting  and  exciting.  It 
will,  however,  serve  to  indicate  the  constant 
perils  that  surround  the  trainer  or  performer, 
many  of  which  arise  from  sources  over  which 
he  has  no  control. 

I  have  often  been  asked  if  the  training  of 
animals  does  not  quite  generally  involve  con- 
siderable cruelty.  This,  it  seems  to  me,  may 
fairly  be  answered  in  the  negative,  although 
one  exception  should  be  made.  Though  great 
firmness  must  be  shown  in  working  wild  ani- 


TRAINING  185 

mals,  and  frequent  and  severe  chastisements 
are  called  for,  there  is  nothing  essentially 
cruel  in  the  method  of  training.  This,  how- 
ever, cannot  be  said  of  the  methods  generally 
followed  by  the  trainers  of  horses. 

I  can  never  forget  how  forcibly  and  painfully 
this  exception  was  brought  home  to  me.  In 
company  with  Mr.  Costello  I  had  brought  from 
Texas  and  New  Mexico  a  herd  of  beautiful 
pinto  ponies,  or  bronchos.  They  were  hand- 
some piebald  creatures,  and  apparently  very 
intelligent,  although  desperately  wild.  From 
a  herd  of  about  forty  we  picked  out  sixteen  to 
be  educated  for  the  ring.  About  ten  miles  out 
of  Chicago  we  put  up  a  convenient  stable  and 
engaged  one  of  the  most  celebrated  trainers  in 
the  United  States.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks  the  animals  became  accustomed  to  hav- 
ing men  about  them,  and  then  I  told  the 
trainer  to  begin  his  work. 

I  had  never  watched  a  trainer  work  horses 
for  the  ring,  and  I  was  greatly  interested  to 
see  how  it  was  done.  The  method  was  so 
cruel  that  I  told  the  trainer  if  he  could  not  in- 
vent a  method  which  inflicted  less  torture  he 
might  quit  and  we  would  have  the  horses 
sold.  He  had  not  the  ingenuity  or  patience  to 
devise  a  more  humane  method,  and  conse- 


186        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

quently  retired  from  the  field,  leaving  his 
assistant  to  work  out  the  problem  tinder  my 
directions.  This  we  finally  succeeded  in  doing 
with  fair  results,  but  the  method  followed  by 
the  trainer  is  a  more  general  one. 

TEACHING    A    HORSE    THE   TWO-STEP 

In  teaching  a  horse  to  dance,  the  master 
would  strike  the  poor  animal  above  the  fetlock, 
and  this  would  produce  a  painful  swelling. 
The  result  was  that  in  a  very  short  time  the 
motion  of  the  stick,  in  time  with  the  music, 
would  cause  the  horse  to  raise  its  foot.  Before 
the  swollen  limb  was  healed  the  performance 
was  repeated  so  frequently  that  the  animal  did 
not  need  the  incentives  of  fear  and  pain  to 
cause  him  to  keep  step  with  the  music. 

Jumping  the  rope  is  taught  in  nearly  the 
same  manner,  a  chain  being  attached  to  two 
long  sticks  swinging  back  and  forth,  striking 
the  horse  just  below  the  knee.  As  a  man  was 
stationed  on  each  side  of  him,  the  poor  horse 
had  no  way  of  retreat,  and  was  compelled  to 
jump  in  order  to  escape  the  blow  from  the 
swinging  bar.  A  horse  is  taught  to  roll  an 
object  or  to  push  open  a  door  in  a  very  simple 
manner,  and  without  cruelty.  One  man  stands 
in  front  of  the  horse  and  another  behind  him, 
the  three  being  stationed  in  a  passageway  too 


TRAINING  187 

narrow  for  the  horse  to  turn.  After  standing 
a  bit  in  this  way,  the  man  behind  the  horse 
gently  slaps  him  on  the  back  and  urges  him 
forward.  Instinctively  the  horse  pushes 
against  the  man  in  front,  and  the  latter  quickly 
moves  along.  In  this  manner  the  horse  soon 
learns  that  by  pushing  against  an  object  in 
front  of  him  it  may  readily  be  forced  out  of  his 
way.  An  intelligent  spectator  can  always  tell 
by  the  attitude  of  a  horse  toward  its  master 
whether  it  has  been  ill  treated.  If  fear  seems 
to  be  the  governing  motive  it  may  be  depended 
upon  that  the  horse  has  been  harshly  dealt 
with ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  very  nature  of 
the  trick  performed  by  the  animal  goes  far  to 
indicate  whether  fear  or  intelligence  has  been 
the  main  factor  in  acquiring  the  accomplish- 
ment displayed.  If  you  see  an  animal  open  a 
trunk  or  drawer  and  pick  out  some  article  for 
which  it  has  been  sent,  you  may  know  that  this 
feat  is  the  result  of  an  appeal  to  the  creature's 
intelligence  and  not  to  its  fear,  for  no  amount 
of  punishment  could  ever  teach  a  thing  of  this 
kind. 

RING  PERFORMERS  TRAINED  WITH  A  DERRICK 

Ring  horses  are  generally  irritated  when  the 
rider  first  stands  upon  their  backs.  Probably 
the  action  of  the  foot  pulls  the  short  hair ;  but 


i88       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  irritation  ceases  in  a  short  time.  Riders 
are  first  trained  to  do  their  tricks  on  the 
ground.  When  complete  masters  of  them- 
selves on  the  ground  they  are  put  upon  the 
back  of  a  horse  having  an  even  gait  and  a 
reliable  disposition.  To  the  performer's  belt, 
at  the  back,  is  attached  a  stout  rope  which  runs 
to  the  end  of  a  strong  arm  or  beam  running 
out  from  a  post  set  in  the  center  of  the  ring. 
This  arm  is  swung  around  by  a  helper,  who 
keeps  the  loose  end  of  the  rope  in  his  hand  in 
order  to  regulate  the  slack  and  prevent  the 
young  performer  from  having  a  heavy  fall 
should  he  lose  his  footing.  Again  and  again 
the  rider  is  pulled  up  just  in  time  to  prevent 
him  from  falling  under  the  hoofs  of  his  horse. 
He  is  swung  forward,  dangling  from  the  arm 
of  the  derrick,  until  he  regains  his  balance  and 
his  footing  upon  the  back  of  his  horse. 

To  describe  in  detail  how  every  feat  and 
specialty  is  taught  would  require  a  volume, 
but  on  general  principles  it  may  be  said  that 
all  tricks  are  first  learned  on  the  ground,  or  at 
a  safe  and  minimum  elevation.  Then  when 
the  performer  has  attained  absolute  self-confi- 
dence and  is  wholly  without  fear  he  is  allowed 
to  swing  higher,  until  he  finally  reaches  the 
height  required  in  the  public  performance. 


TRAINING  189 

CIRCUS  PEOPLE  A  LONG-LIVED  CLASS 

In  the  old  days  it  was  the  general  custom  for 
the  circus  proprietors  to  put  their  own  children 
into  the  business,  teaching  them  to  do  every- 
thing in  the  acrobatic  line,  from  bare-back  rid- 
ing to  trapeze  and  bar  work  and  slack-rope  and 
tight-rope  walking.  Many  of  them  were  also 
skilled  musicians  and  could  play  several  instru- 
ments in  the  band. 

At  the  present  day  many  persons  not  familiar 
with  the  inside  life  of  the  circus  will  no  doubt 
be  horrified  to  think  that  a  man  wealthy 
enough  to  own  a  big  circus  and  menagerie 
would  train  his  sons,  and  particularly  his 
daughters,  for  the  ring.  Let  me  say  on  this 
score  that  I  could  name  a  long  list  of  families 
in  which  this  custom  prevailed,  and  must  say 
that  the  private  and  domestic  life  of  these 
people  was  far  above  that  of  the  average  fam- 
ilies in  fashionable  society.  Almost  invariably 
the  members  of  each  family  were  devoted  to 
each  other  and  were  refined  and  intelligent. 
Many  of  the  young  women  of  these  families 
married  wealthy  and  cultured  men,  and  retired 
from  the  circus  business  to  become  the  mis- 
tresses of  refined  and  happy  homes.  Many  old 
showmen  whose  children  were  star  performers 


i9o       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

carried  accomplished  teachers  with  them  on 
the  road,  and  the  children  were  as  well  edu- 
cated as  if  the  entire  time  had  been  spent 
attending  school. 

Their  training  and  work  in  the  ring  not  only 
afforded  them  splendid  physical  exercise,  but 
taught  them  patience,  application,  alertness, 
and  many  other  valuable  lessons  which  made 
their  progress  very  rapid  when  it  came  to  their 
lessons  from  books.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of 
notice  that  the  circus  people  are  a  long-lived 
race.  I  can  name  almost  a  score  of  famous 
performers  who  have  attained  an  age  of  more 
than  eighty  years.  This  would  tend  to  show 
that  circus  work  is  quite  as  healthy  as  any 
other.  I  may  add  that  the  charge  so  fre- 
quently brought  against  showmen,  that  the 
training  of  children  for  the  circus  ring  is 
cruel,  is  not  well  founded. 

While  I  have  seen  many  instances  of  cruelty 
in  this  connection,  there  is  nothing  in  the 
work  itself  which  necessitates  hardship  or 
harshness.  In  fact,  quite  the  reverse  is  true. 

The  child  is  the  sooner  trained  into  an  ability 
to  do  a  dangerous  and  daring  feat  through 
gentleness  and  encouragement.  In  other 
words,  the  more  they  overcome  their  fear  in 
every  direction  the  better  able  are  they  to 


TRAINING  191 

swing  from  one  trapeze  to  another,  to  walk 
the  tight  rope  at  a  dizzy  height,  or  to  turn 
somersaults  from  the  back  of  a  galloping 
horse. 


MOBS,   CYCLONES  AND   ADVENTURES 

In  a  lifetime  spent  with  the  circus  I  have 
learned  the  heart  of  the  people.  I  have  felt 
the  pulse  of  the  multitudes  who  have  made  the 
history  of  the  West.  This  insight  into  condi- 
tions of  things  in  the  West  brought  me  many 
and  varied  experiences,  some  of  which  were 
rough  and  severe.  They  had  their  interesting 
sides,  however,  and  many  of  them  are  worth 
the  telling,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  to  throw 
light  upon  the  character  of  the  people  with 
whom  we  had  to  deal.  That  the  show  was 
appreciated  by  these  frontiersmen  there  can  be 
no  doubt. 

In  the  earlier  days  it  was  the  custom  to  have 
a  concert  in  a  side  tent  before  and  after  the 
regular  performance  in  the  circus.  At  one 
place  where  we  stopped  the  people  paid  their 
money  and  went  in  and  enjoyed  the  concert ; 
but  so  well  pleased  were  they  that  they  insisted 
upon  a  repetition  of  the  performance.  At  the 
point  of  their  pistols  they  compelled  the  poor 
192 


.  ADVENTURES  193 

minstrels  to  continue  their  antics  nearly  all 
night,  until  ready  to  drop  from  sheer  exhaus- 
tion. 

FORCIBLE  ARGUMENT  WITH  A  CITY  MARSHAL 

At  one  time,  while  in  Texas,  we  were  doing 
an  act  called  An  Indian  Chase  for  a  Wife,  in 
which  we  used  several  guns  with  blank  cart- 
ridges. The  act  opened  with  a  lively  fusillade 
and  the  reports  brought  a  great  crowd  to  the 
tent.  The  Texans  appeared  to  come  from 
every  direction,  many  of  them  with  revolvers 
ready  cocked.  The  fact  that  many  of  them 
had  been  drinking  greatly  increased  the  perils 
of  our  situation.  After  careful  consideration 
of  these  facts  I  decided  not  to  give  a  night  per- 
formance, and  ordered  an  early  supper  so  as  to 
be  able  to  load  by  daylight  and,  if  possible, 
get  out  of  town  before  nightfall.  The  seats 
were  soon  taken  out  and  the  side  wall  was 
dropped. 

I  sat  in  the  cook  tent,  eating  dinner,  when  a 
great  crowd  suddenly  surrounded  us.  The 
leader,  who  claimed  to  be  the  town  marshal, 
had  his  revolver  pointed  directly  at  my  head, 
and  I  could  see  by  the  inflamed  condition  of 
his  features  that  he,  like  the  rest,  had  been 
drinking  heavily.  Realizing  my  danger,  I 


i94       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

knocked  the  pistol  down  and  it  went  off  be- 
tween my  feet.  This  was  taken  as  the 
signal  for  a  rush  toward  me,  the  crowd  evi- 
dently thinking  I  had  shot  at  the  marshal. 
The  noise  attracted  the  concourse  that  had 
just  left  the  circus  and  they  drew  up  in  line 
with  revolvers  cocked.  A  slaughter  of  show- 
men was  clearly  imminent 

I  leaped  upon  a  box  and  tried  to  pacify  the 
infuriated  Texans,  while  receiving,  at  the 
same  time,  their  abuse.  I  was  entirely  igno- 
rant of  the  cause  of  the  disturbance  and  de- 
manded to  be  informed  of  the  reason  of  the 
uprising.  Getting  no  reply,  I  appealed  to 
them  as  law-abiding  citizens,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  my  life  this  appeal  was  useless. 

By  this  time  our  entire  force  had  collected, 
and  as  the  show  was  the  "First  Hippodrome" 
and  altogether  the  largest  circus  ever  in  the 
south,  we  had  at  least  five  hundred  attache's, 
three  hundred  of  whom  were  powerful  fellows 
and  well  armed.  This  was  the  first  time  that 
I  had  ever  thought  of  permitting  my  people  to 
fight.  Our  gang  was  headed  by  my  boss  can- 
vasman,  "Put."  I  momentarily  expected  the 
attack,  but  just  as  I  got  down  from  the  box  a 
detective  who  was  hired  to  travel  with  the  show 
rushed  upon  the  scene  and  yelled:  "In  the 


ADVENTURES  195 

name  of  the  United  States  Government,  whose 
officer  I  am,  I  command  peace!"  It  was  sur- 
prising to  see  that  crowd  scatter,  and  certainly 
this  was  a  master-stroke  on  the  part  of  the 
detective.  He  earned  more  that  day  than  I 
ever  paid  the  agency  for  his  services.  In  ten 
minutes  all  was  calm  and  peaceful. 

BREAKING    CAMP    UNDER    A    HOT    RIFLE    FIRE 

In  1859  two  Philadelphia  friends  of  mine 
were  going  to  make  a  trip  South,  and  offered 
me  big  inducements  to  join  them,  which  I 
accepted.  We  started  from  Philadelphia,  mak- 
ing our  way  slowly  through  the  different 
States,  with  the  usual  routine  of  wagon-show 
life.  No  event  of  importance  occurred  until 
we  reached  Missouri.  It  was  a  most  foolish 
trip  to  undertake,  for  the  people  were  then  so 
embittered  by  the  John  Brown  raid  that  we 
were  in  constant  danger.  First  came  a  tirade 
of  the  fiercest  abuse  and  this  soon  led  into  a 
regular  knock-down  fight,  which  speedily  de- 
veloped into  a  shooting-scrape  lasting  several 
hours.  We  were  compelled  to  defend  our- 
selves by  every  method  at  our  command.  Our 
men  were  marshalled  inside  the  tent  and  armed 
with  long,  heavy  stakes  which  looked  like  guns 
and  were  really  formidable  weapons.  The 


196        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

wagons  and  other  available  goods  were  grouped 
in  a  circle,  and  behind  this  pioneer  fortifica- 
tion the  men  paced  with  their  long  stakes  at 
their  shoulders  like  the  guns  of  sentries.  In 
the  dim  light  thrown  by  the  torches  they  cer- 
tainly looked  like  armed  men.  So  formidable 
was  our  appearance  the  enemy  thought  us 
armed  with  Winchesters.  By  putting  on  this 
bold  front  the  canvasmen  were  able  to  get  all 
the  loose  stuff  into  the  wagons,  leaving  the 
tents  standing  until  the  last.  Finally  these 
also  were  taken  down  and  loaded.  Then  came 
the  most  perilous  undertaking  of  all.  To  get 
our  horses  from  the  stables  seemed  at  first  an 
absolute  impossibility.  It  was  the  custom,  at 
that  time,  to  stable  our  horses  wherever  space 
could  be  found  for  them,  and  as  Granby  was 
only  a  small  village,  nearly  every  stable  con- 
tained one  or  more  of  our  horses.  We  divided 
the  men  into  two  gangs,  one  of  which  was  left 
to  guard  the  property  on  the  grounds. 

Our  show  was  situated  in  the  public  square 
and  was  thus  surrounded  by  houses  and  stores, 
all  of  which  were  filled  with  armed  men.  By 
the  dim  light  we  could  see  our  enemies  running 
from  house  to  house  with  guns  in  their  hands. 
The  second  detachment  of  our  men  was  sent 
to  gather  in  the  scattered  horses.  And  a 


ADVENTURES  197 

lively  time  they  had  accomplishing  that  busi- 
ness !  Shot  after  shot  was  fired  at  them  while 
the  horses  were  being  driven  into  the  corral. 
Fortunately,  however,  neither  man  nor  horse 
was  hit. 

AMBUSHED    AND    SHOT    AT    ON    THE    ROAD 

We  remained  quiet  until  daylight,  keeping 
constant  guard,  for  we  feared  an  attack  at  any 
moment;  but  toward  daybreak  we  could  see 
that  the  ranks  of  our  enemy  were  thinning  out. 
After  careful  deliberation  I  gav6  the  order  to 
march.  Just  as  the  first  team  was  leaving  the 
square  the  sharpshooters  opened  a  vicious  fire 
from  the  windows  and  doors  of  houses  and 
stores.  Practically  every  shot  brought  down  a 
horse.  Strange  to  say,  we  could  not  discover 
that  a  single  man  had  been  struck.  Our  men 
instantly  fell  into  line  and  began  firing  to- 
gether, but  as  we  had  only  pistols  the  fight  was 
against  us.  As  our  enemies  were  safely  con- 
cealed in  stores  and  buildings,  only  a  few  ex- 
posing themselves  to  our  pistols,  we  fought  at 
great  odds.  However,  we  kept  up  a  rapid 
fusillade,  and  under  this  heavy  fire  we  managed 
to  get  out  into  the  open  country,  leaving  our 
dead  horses  on  the  village  square.  Once 
safely  outside  and  beyond  the  range  of  the 


198        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

enemy  we  paused  for  roll-call  and  found  that 
three  of  our  men  were  dead.  This  put  the 
spirit  of  fight  into  every  man  in  the  company, 
and  there  was  almost  an  eagerness  to  have  an- 
other encounter. 

Proceeding  cautiously  on  our  way,  we  came 
to  a  stream  spanned  by  an  old-fashioned 
bridge.  The  first  chariot  being  a  very  heavy 
one,  the  bridge  was  carried  down,  throwing 
the  wagon,  horses,  driver  and  men  into  the 
water  twenty  feet  below.  Soon  firing  was 
again  heard,  and  two  more  horses  fell.  This 
proved  my  suspicion  that  the  beams  had  been 
cut  for  the  porpose  of  wrecking  us  and  of  trap- 
ping us  where  we  could  be  slaughtered.  The 
next  shots  brought  several  of  my  brave  men  to 
the  ground — dead  in  their  tracks!  The  enemy, 
being  in  ambush,  had  us  at  great  disadvantage ; 
but  my  men  were  so  thoroughly  aroused  and 
so  fearless  that  we  soon  drove  our  assailants 
back.  This  last  plucky  onslaught  won  the  day 
for  us,  although  at  sad  cost. 

After  a  delay  of  several  hours,  during  which 
we  repaired  the  bridge,  we  were  again  able  to 
proceed  on  our  way.  Hardly  were  we  fairly 
started  when  a  new  difficulty  was  encountered 
in  the  form  of  big  trees  felled  across  the  road- 
way. This  work  had  been  cleverly  done  by 


ADVENTURES  199 

the  enemy  in  order  to  retard  our  progress,  and 
we  had  to  stop  and  remove  these  obstacles  be- 
fore we  could  pass.  The  time  lost  by  the  first 
attack,  by  the  bridge  engagement  and  sub- 
sequent delay  threw  us  behind  a  whole 
day. 

Although  the  people  were  all  anxious  to  see 
our  show  they  had  not  a  friendly  word  for  us. 
Frequently  large  crowds  would  force  their  way 
into  the  tents,  pointing  a  cocked  revolver  at 
the  doorkeeper's  head.  Finally,  however,  we 
managed  to  reach  the  Arkansas  line  with  com- 
paratively small  loss  of  life.  I  am  surprised 
that  we  were  ever  able  to  do  so,  because  of  the 
extreme  bitterness  which  then  prevailed  toward 
all  Northerners. 

At  length  we  came  to  a  town  called  Buck- 
snort,  the  scene  of  the  hanging  described  in 
one  of  Mr.  Opie  Read's  short  stories.  Nearly 
every  man  at  the  tavern  was  ready  for  any 
kind  of  excitement.  They  started  the  quarrel 
by  accusing  our  men  of  stealing  their  hats.  A 
fight  quickly  ensued ;  and  we  were  forced  again 
to  defend  ourselves  by  resort  to  arms.  At  that 
time  we  were  playing  Mazeppa  in  which  we 
used  a  number  of  dull  swords.  These  were 
instantly  placed  in  the  hands  of  performers  and 
canvasmeh  who  knew  how  to  wield  them,  and 


200       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  result  was  a  terrific  hand-to-hand  encounter 
in  which  we  came  off  victorious. 

At  Lickskillet,  another  place  on  our  line,  the 
principal  building  was  a  log  tavern.  We  put 
up  our  tents,  but  shortly  afterward  noticed  sev- 
eral old  men  with  long-bladed  knives  cutting 
slits  in  the  canvas.  The  canvasmen,  on  seeing 
the  tent  walls  slashed,  vigorously  protested. 
At  once  bullets  began  to  fly  from  the  corner  of 
the  tavern.  One  of  our  men  was  killed  at  the 

* 

outset  of  this  melee. 

Previous  to  this  episode  our  men  had  become 
pretty  well  discouraged  and  would  gladly  have 
had  peace,  but  this  last  outrage  seemed  to 
arouse  them  to  a  perfect  frenzy.  Instead  of 
shooting  they  went  for  the  gang  of  roughs 
with  clubs,  stakes  and  every  other  kind  of 
weapon  they  could  find.  The  encounter  was  a 
terrific  one.  Our  men  knocked  the  desper- 
adoes senseless  and  seized  their  guns,  and  in  a 
very  few  minutes  we  were  much  better  pre- 
pared to  defend  ourselves.  I  think  during  the 
battle  our  men  seized  fully  thirty  rifles.  Shot- 
guns wefe  seldom  used  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  Most  unexpectedly  we  succeeded  in 
getting  some  recruits.  A  few  Northern  men  who 
had  come  into  the  place  to  settle  permanently 
offered  their  services  for  our  protection. 


ADVENTURES  201 


THE     STUDIES     OF     THE   STUDENT     TO    THE   CLOWN 

In  early  days  many  of  the  young  country- 
men would  be  seized  with  a  desire  to  become 
"actors, ' '  as  they  called  the  acrobats.  This  led 
the  circus  performers  into  the  scheme  of  sell- 
ing the  ambitious  wights  something  to  make 
them  limber.  A  big  trade  of  this  kind  was 
carried  on  by  selling  an  oil  made  from  very 
cheap  grease,  the  innocent  victims  being  thor- 
oughly convinced  that  they  would  come  out 
full-fledged  "actors"  by  the  use  of  this  lubri- 
cant. Frequently  some  young  fellow  would 
apply  for  the  position  of  student  to  the  clown. 
When  he  presented  himself  for  tuition,  the 
paint  prepared  for  his  make-up  would  be 
mixed  with  grease  and  thoroughly  rubbed  on 
his  face  and  limbs.  He  would  then  be  dressed 
in  an  old  pair  of  tights  and  made  to  enter  the 
ring,  where  he  would  be  ordered  by  the  ring- 
master to  "act  up."  He  would  be  so  embar- 
rassed at  this  demand  that  he  could  not  speak, 
whereupon  the  ringmaster  would  lay  the  whip 
upon  his  practically  naked  limbs,  telling  him 
that  it  was  the  only  way  by  which  to  learn  the 
acrobatic  art. 

Another  trick  was  to  toss  the  students  to  the 
clown  in  a  strong  blanket  of  canvas.  I  can 


202        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

now  point  to  an  ex-member  of  Congress  who 
was  thus  tossed  until  sore  and  exhausted. 

Among  the  various  performances  on  our  cir- 
cus program  one  feat  was  that  of  placing  a 
large  stone  on  a  man's  breast,  as  he  lay  on  his 
back,  and  then  striking  the  stone  with  a  sledge- 
hammer so  as  to  break  the  rock.  The  audience 
was  invited  to  furnish  a  man  to  break  this 
stone,  and  although  one  would  naturally  sup- 
pose that  such  an  act  would  hurt  the  performer 
on  whose  breast  the  stone  rested,  he  would,  in 
fact,  receive  no  shock  whatever.  But  one 
day,  while  exhibiting  at  a  small  town,  a 
drunken  countryman,  in  attempting  to  break 
the  stone  with  a  sledge-hammer,  missed  his 
mark  entirely,  and  the  poor  fellow  received  a 
blow  that  nearly  killed  him.  He  was  obliged 
to  lie  in  bed  and  have  medical  aid. 

The  following  day  we  were  compelled  to 
move  on  to  the  next  town,  as  advertised, 
which  was  a  keen  rival  of  the  village  we  were 
just  leaving.  Our  principal  actor  being  un- 
able to  perform,  we  came  near  being  mobbed, 
for  this  rival  town  did  not  relish  the  idea  that 
its  competitor  had  witnessed  features  which  it 
could  not  see.  All  our  remonstrances  were  in 
vain ;  and  we  were  finally  compelled  to  allow 
the  injured  man  to  quit  his  bed  and  actually 


ADVENTURES  203 

go  through  the  performance.  These  rough 
countrymen  would  certainly  have  kept  their 
word  had  we  not  complied  with  their  wishes, 
and  it  would  have  fared  very  badly  with  us. 
However,  the  sick  man  went  through  his  part 
as  well  as  he  could,  and  received  the  full 
approbation  of  the  audience. 

From  this  town  we  proceeded  to  a  large 
Indian  encampment.  There  we  obtained  per- 
mits from  John  Ross,  Chief  of  the  Cherokee 
Nation,  and  erected  our  tents.  The  govern- 
ment had  just  made  an  Indian  payment  to  this 
tribe,  all  the  money  being  in  twenty-dollar 
gold  pieces.  Neither  the  circus  treasurer  nor 
any  one  in  the  community  could  change  these 
coins  for  money  of  smaller  denomination,  and 
we  were  almost  in  despair.  Meantime  some  of 
the  Indians  climbed  into  a  tree,  seated  them- 
selves comfortably  in  the  branches,  and  pre- 
pared to  witness  the  entire  performance  free 
of  charge.  This  exasperated  me,  and,  seizing 
an  ax,  I  commenced  hewing  at  the  tree. 
Instantly  I  found  myself  the  center  of  an 
incipient  riot,  as  there  was  a  law  in  the  Terri- 
tory forbidding  a  white  person  to  cut  down  a 
tree.  John  Ross,  however,  quickly  came  to 
my  rescue  and  saved  my  scalp  by  an  adroit 
appeal  to  his  people. 


204        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

We  adopted  the  plan  of  admitting  the 
Indians  in  squads,  charging  them  a  dollar  each 
and  taking  a  double-eagle  from  every  twen- 
tieth man.  The  Indians  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  performance  hugely,  but  were  highly  ex- 
cited by  the  tricks  of  the  magician,  whom  they 
regarded  as  a  supernatural  being. 

DEVOTIONAL    SERVICES    UPSET    BY    A    DEMON 

At  a  certain  town  in  Missouri  a  laughable 
circumstance  occurred.  Here,  for  some  time, 
a  revival  had  been  in  progress.  The  revival- 
ists had  been  abusing  the  circus,  its  surround- 
ings and  influences,  and  had  tried  to  prevent 
us  from  exhibiting.  However,  we  secured  a 
lot  adjoining  the  church  and  opened  our  doors. 
John  Robinson,  the  chief  proprietor  of  our 
show,  was  one  of  the  best  equestrians  that  ever 
lived,  and  at  that  time  was  introducing  what 
he  called  his  Demon  Act.  In  this  act  he 
dressed  and  made  up  as  nearly  as  possible  like 
a  demon.  While  riding  his  four  horses  at 
breakneck  pace  around  the  ring,  he  would 
utter  a  series  of  the  most  ferocious  yells  imag- 
inable, at  the  same  time  working  himself  up  to 
a  great  pitch  of  excitement,  until,  as  the  audi- 
tors frequently  expressed  it,  he  "looked  like 
his  Satanic  Majesty  himself. ' ' 


ADVENTURES  205 

On  this  occasion,  at  the  close  of  his  act,  he 
jumped  from  his  horses,  ran  out  of  the  dress- 
ing-room and  boldly  entered  the  church,  ex- 
claiming in  the  stentorian  voice  for  which  he 
was  famed:  "1  am  victorious!  I  am  victo- 
rious!" The  effect  was  magical.  The  revival- 
ist had  been  eloquently  exhorting  on  the 
subject  of  the  Prince  of  Darkness,  and  the 
overwrought  congregation  took  but  one  glance 
at  the  theatrical  Satan,  and  then,  leaping 
madly  through  the  Windows  and  doors  of  the 
little  church,  broke  for  the  woods. 

At  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  we  had  exhibited 
to  a  large  afternoon  audience.  The  day  was 
extremely  hot  and  sultry,  and  in  the  evening, 
just  as  the  people  were  seating  themselves  on 
the  benches,  a  cyclone  struck  us  without  the 
slightest  warning.  In  a  twinkling  the  poles, 
seats  and  canvas  were  being  hurled  through 
the  air  in  all  directions.  At  that  time  we  used 
an  inflammable  liquid  for  illuminating  the 
tent,  and  this  ignited  and  added  the  horror  of 
fire  to  the  scene. 

THE    WILD    BEASTS    LOOSE    IN    THE    BIG    CROWD 

In  those  days  our  menagerie  was  exhibited 
in  the  same  tent  used  for  our  circus  perform- 
ance, the  seats  being  arranged  on  one  side  and 


206        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  animal  cages  on  the  other.  Imagine  the 
scene!  Several  thousand  terrorized  and 
screaming  men,  women  and  children  rushed 
wildly  in  all  directions,  the  combustible  tents 
and  paraphernalia  were  in  flames,  and  above 
all  could  be  heard  the  roar  of  the  terror- 
stricken  animals,  beating  madly  against  their 
iron  bars.  Two  of  the  largest  dens  had  been 
placed  together  and  the  partition  bars  with- 
drawn, so  as  to  form  one  big  cage,  wherein 
the  lions  and  tigers  were  exercised  by  their 
keepers.  The  fire  burned  the  woodwork  so 
that  this  double  cage  came  apart  and  liberated 
the  ferocious  animals.  These  lions  and  tigers 
escaped  among  the  people  and  added  a  new 
element  to  the  general  pandemonium  of  ter- 
ror. Words  cannot  convey  an  adequate  idea  of 
that  awful  moment. 

As  the  tents  and  cages  slowly  burned  out, 
total  darkness  came  upon  us.  In  the  excitement, 
one  of  the  men  in  the  audience  happened  to 
jump  on  a  crouching  lion  and  yelled  that  he 
was  in  the  clutches  of  the  beast ;  however,  the 
animal  was  as  thoroughly  frightened  as  the 
man.  Some  of  the  animals  were  loose  all 
night,  and  one  Royal  Bengal  tiger  disappeared 
altogether.  No  trace  whatever  was  found  of 
his  remains  when  the  debris  was  examined, 


ADVENTURES  207 

and  he  probably  escaped  to  the  nearest 
woods. 

Near  to  the  tent  was  one  of  those  prickly 
osage  hedges,  and  into  this  hundreds  of  people 
ran,  becoming  so  entangled  in  the  thorny  net- 
work that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  them  to 
extricate  themselves.  Many  were  badly  lacer- 
ated by  the  brambles.  There  was  no  sleep  in 
Council  Bluffs  that  night. 

Several  of  our  wagons  disappeared  and  one 
carriage  was  never  afterward  found.  Four  or 
five  horses  were  lifted  and  blown  into  a  lot 
some  distance  from  where  they  had  been 
stabled.  To  add  still  further  to  the  misery 
that  prevailed,  the  catastrophe  ended  with  a 
cloud-burst  and  the  earth  was  fairly  deluged, 
so  that  in  a  short  time  what  little  remained 
undestroyed  by  wind  and  flame  was  floating 
around  in  a  sea  of  water.  Dense  darkness 
prevailed  and  nothing  could  be  done  till  dawn. 
It  was  then  found  that  the  cyclone  had  done 
even  more  damage  to  the  city  than  we  had  at 
first  supposed.  Though  the  circus  was  a  com- 
plete wreck,  it  was  learned  that  both  the  city 
and  its  suburbs  had  suffered  severely,  and  it 
was  considered  providential  that  the  perform- 
ance had  attracted  so  great  a  concourse  of  the 
people  from  their  homes. 


208        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

THE    MIDNIGHT    STAMPEDE    OF    THE    ELEPHANTS 

When  we  exhibited  in  Kansas  the  country 
was  in  such  a  state  of  terror,  resulting  from  the 
"border  warfare,"  that  all  the  towns  and  vil- 
lages had  organized  military  companies.  At 
each  camping  place  we  were  obliged  to  join 
these  home  guards,  for  protection.  One  day, 
while  we  were  exhibiting  at  Lawrence,  a  de- 
tachment of  militia  encamped  about  a  mile 
from  us,  the  posts  and  guards  surrounding  the 
entire  city.  I  had  with  me  a  friend  from  my 
old  home  at  Delavan,  Wisconsin.  He  was  a 
merchant  and  had  never  seen  any  of  the  hard- 
ships of  the  camp  or  of  circus  life,  and  all  this 
rough  experience  was  new  to  him. 

As  we  were  obliged  to  travel  through  the 
country  for  weeks  without  daring  to  take  off 
our  clothes,  I  had  a  wagon  snugly  covered  and 
this  served  as  a  sort  of  sleeping  berth.  In  this 
wagon  my  friend  and  I  spent  our  nights.  At 
our  feet  slept  a  faithful  watch  dog.  On  this 
particular  night  we  were  sound  asleep,  when 
the  dog  made  a  sudden  lunge,  jumping  upon 
us  and  instantly  awakening  us.  The  moon  was 
hid  behind  a  cloud,  and  it  was,  for  the  moment, 
very  dark.  As  I  jumped  to  my  feet,  I  indis- 
tinctly saw  what  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  body 


ADVENTURES  209 

of  men  coming  towards  us.  I  fired  several 
shots  from  the  big  pistols  I  always  carried 
swung  from  my  belt ;  but  still  the  mass  came 
forward.  I  soon  heard  a  most  pitiful  wail  of 
grief,  and  then  I  discovered  that  I  had  shot 
into  a  herd  of  elephants  which  had  stampeded. 
The  firing,  together  with  the  noise,  alarmed 
the  militia  around  the  city,  who,  thinking  the 
border  ruffians  were  upon  us,  came  to  our 
assistance.  It  was  some  time  before  I  could 
convince  them  of  the  real  state  of  affairs,  as 
the  elephants  had  made  a  wild  escape  and  con- 
sternation reigned.  The  militia  hunted  for  the 
men  who  fired  the  guns,  threatening  dire 
vengeance  for  alarming  the  post,  but  after  a 
full  explanation  we  succeeded  in  pacifying 
them.  Then  we  had  a  long  chase  after  the 
stampeded  elephants,  which  were  finally  cap- 
tured. 

A    POLAR    BEAR    HUNT    ON    FIFTH    AVENUE 

One  of  the  most  exciting  and  amusing  epi- 
sodes connected  with  my  career  as  a  showman 
is  that  which  passed  into  Gotham  history  as 
"the  bear  hunt  on  Fifth  Avenue."  And  cer- 
tainly nothing  could  be  more  strange  and  pic- 
turesque than  a  hot  chase  after  a  ferocious 
polar  bear  along  this  aristocratic  thoroughfare ! 


2io        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

In  1873  there  were  no  polar  bears  in  Amer- 
ica, and  I  thought  it  would  be  a  good  stroke  of 
business  to  obtain  some  of  these  beautiful  and 
imposing  animals  for  my  menagerie.  There- 
fore I  sent  an  expedition  to  the  Arctic  waters 
to  capture  a  pair.  My  men  finally  succeeded 
in  landing  two  enormous  polars  in  New  York. 
In  the  process  of  shifting  them  from  the  ship- 
ping-box one  of  these  monsters  made  his 
escape,  and  started  on  a  run  down  the  middle 
of  Fifth  Avenue.  His  course  was  marked  by 
general  consternation.  Children  playing  on 
the  streets,  seeing  an  immense  white  bear 
lumbering  toward  them  at  full  speed,  screamed 
and  fled  in  every  direction  for  shelter;  horses, 
frightened  at  this  unusual  spectacle,  became 
unmanageable  and  ran  away;  nurse-maids, 
wheeling  their  small  charges,  were  stricken 
helpless  with  terror,  and  even  the  street  dogs 
fled  howling  down  the  cross  streets  and  into 
business  houses.  Everywhere  disorder  and 
terror  reigned  supreme;  the  streets  became 
suddenly  deserted,  and  one  would  have  sup- 
posed that  a  plague  had  instantly  depopulated 
the  city.  The  police  were  called  out  from 
every  adjacent  station  as  soon  as  it  became 
known  that  a  white  bear  was  loose  in  the 
streets  of  New  York.  The  poor  animal,  unac- 


A  BEAR  LOOSE  IN  FIFTH  AVENUE. 


ADVENTURES  211 

customed  to  the  strange  medley  of  metropolitan 
civilization,  was  more  frightened  than  those 
who  fled  before  him. 

Finally,  by  the  aid  of  the  police  and  some  of 
the  braver  citizens,  the  beast  was  driven  into  a 
basement  of  a  private  residence,  and  there 
shot.  Had  the  people  only  realized  it,  the 
creature  could  easily  have  been  captured  alive ; 
but  fear  reigned  in  every  heart,  from  the  child 
to  the  policeman,  and  the  latter  would  not  con- 
sider anything  save  instant  death  to  the  bear. 
The  animal  was  very  valuable  and  had  cost  me 
a  large  sum  of  money,  not  only  for  its  capture 
but  also  for  its  transportation,  and  I  was  ex- 
ceedingly sorry  to  lose  him  in  this  way.  I 
considered  myself  exceedingly  fortunate,  how- 
ever, to  escape  as  easily  as  I  did,  for  had  the 
bear  done  any  harm  I  should  have  had  to  pay 
heavy  damages.  No  person  fortunate  enough 
to  witness  the  tumult  of  that  exciting  scene 
can  ever  forget  the  bear  hunt  on  Fifth 
Avenue ! 

AN    EQUINE    OFFICER    OF    ARTILLERY 

At  one  time  certain  towns  in  Pennsylvania 
were  greatly  dreaded  by  all  showmen,  from 
the  fact  that  the  "tough"  element  there  pre- 
dominated, and  rarely  did  a  circus  escape  with- 


ai2        SAWDUST  AND   SPANGLES 

out  a  pitched  battle  with  these  desperadoes. 
Mahanoy  City  was  one  of  the  worst  of  these 
towns,  and  on  my  last  visit  there  nothing  but 
the  sound  "horse  sense"  of  one  of  our  trained 
animals  saved  the  show  from  a  conflict  the 
result  of  which  might  have  been  deplorable. 
I  had  wired  my  agent,  weeks  before,  to  drop 
this  town  from  the  list,  but  he  had  written 
back  that,  under  favorable  circumstances,  we 
were  sure  of  taking  about  $10,000  there,  and 
therefore,  in  accordance  with  my  instructions, 
the  town  had  been  billed. 

We  had  a  fair  afternoon's  business,  and  at 
night,  judging  from  the  appearance  of  the 
house,  we  ought  to  have  had  at  least  $5,000  in 
the  treasury.  But,  as  usual  in  that  town,  the 
toughs  had  simply  forced  their  way  in  without 
paying,  and,  as  a  consequence,  only  about  $800 
had  been  taken.  On  the  outside  were  several 
hundred  hoodlums  clamoring  for  a  fight,  and  I 
am  bound  to  say  that  "Old  Put,"  our  boss 
canvasman,  and  his  faithful  followers  were 
anxious  for  the  same  means  of  satisfaction,  and 
only  refrained  from  an  outbreak  because  they 
knew  that  instant  dismissal  from  my  employ 
would  follow  any  attempt  on  their  part  to  take 
the  initiative  in  any  trouble. 

At  last,  however,  a  fight  did  come  off,  and  a 


ADVENTURES  213 

hot  one  it  was,  too !  Right  in  the  midst  of  it 
one  of  my  horses,  which  had  been  trained  to 
fire  off  a  cannon  from  its  back,  got  loose  and, 
fully  accoutred,  galloped  into  the  thick  of 
the  me*lee.  The  creature  seized  the  strap 
which  operated  the  trigger  and  began  firing 
blank  cartridges  in  every  direction.  If  ever  a 
mob  of  toughs  was  frightened  it  was  then! 
They  stopped  not  upon  the  order  of  their 
going,  but  fairly  flew  in  all  directions. 

One  of  them  afterward  told  a  policeman  that 
they  could  fight  any  gang  of  showmen  that 
ever  traveled,  but  when  a  horse  commenced  to 
unload  on  them  with  a  cannon,  he  knew  it  was 
time  to  quit. 


XI 


STORIES  OF    OLD-TIME    SHOWS   AND 
SHOWMEN 

Nothing  can  afford  a  better  idea  of  the  vari- 
ety and  picturesqueness  of  a  showman's  life 
than  the  medley  of  odd  incidents,  of  strange 
experiences  and  homely  happenings  that  crowd 
the  thought  of  a  veteran  when  in  a  reminis- 
cent mood.  It  is  under  this  kind  of  inspira- 
tion that  I  have  jotted  down,  in  this  scrappy 
and  haphazard  way,  the  episodes  which  suffi- 
ciently impressed  me  at  the  time  of  their  occur- 
rence to  claim  frequent  rehearsal  when  talking 
over  the  "old  days"  with  other  pioneers  of  the 
tent  and  the  ring.  It  is  the  clowns  who  in  one 
way  or  another  furnish  most  material  for  anec- 
dotes, and  the  greatest  clown  America  ever 
saw  was  Dan  Rice,  who  at  one  time  was  the 
most  famous  circus  performer  in  America, 
and,  with  the  exception  of  John  Robinson,  the 
most  daring.  I  have  never  met  a  more  nervy 
man ;  he  was  without  an  equal  in  trying  emer- 
gencies. He  would  face  a  mob  at  any  time 
214 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  215 

and  under  any  circumstances.  Besides  being 
a  natural  fighter  he  was  a  natural  orator.  He 
had  a  sonorous,  penetrating  voice,  his  enuncia- 
tion was  clear  and  distinct,  and  he  knew  the 
secret  of  flattering  and  delighting  his  auditors. 
Dan  had  many  competitors  for  the  patronage 
of  the  river  towns,  the  most  prominent  of  whom 
were  two  veteran  showmen  who  owned  a  float- 
ing palace.  The  "Palace"  was  simply  a  large 
boat  fitted  up  as  an  opera  house  with  the  most 
elegant  appointments.  It  would  seat  several 
hundred  people  and  was  provided  with  a  com- 
plete stage  and  elaborate  sets  of  scenery.  This 
was  towed  by  a  tug  called  the  "James  Ray- 
mond," on  which  all  the  performers  roomed 
and  took  their  meals.  They  had,  besides,  a 
steamer  called  the  "Banjo,"  on  which  they 
gave  a  minstrel  performance. 

DAN    RICE'S    ONE-HORSE    SHOW 

Dan  had  formerly  been  "featured"  as  one  of 
their  attractions ;  but,  some  trouble  arising,  he 
had  left  them  and  started  in  business  on  his 
own  account.  He  experienced  the  usual  ups 
and  downs  of  a  showman's  life,  finally  "went 
broke,"  and  was  at  last  cleaned  out  to  what  he 
boldly  announced  as  "Dan  Rice's  One-Horse 
Show."  With  this  little  affair  he  courageously 


'fought  his  former  associates  and  did  a  large 
business.  During  the  performances  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  singing  a  song  entitled  My  One- 
Horse  Show,  which  took  the  popular  fancy  and 
materially  helped  him.  In  this  song  he  told 
how  the  opposition  had  placed  false  buoys  in 
the  river,  thereby  misleading  his  pilots  and 
throwing  him  on  sand  bars  where  his  craft 
stuck  for  days. 

For  the  information  of  those  unacquainted 
with  river  travel  I  will  say  that  buoys  are 
placed  by  the  government  in  dangerous  parts 
of  the  river  to  point  out  the  only  safe  channel. 
Now,  whether  or  not  the  opposition  was  really 
guilty  of  this  trick,  Dan's  verses  gained  him 
the  sympathy  of  the  people,  and  with  that 
sympathy  came  their  dollars.  In  fact,  to  such 
an  extent  did  Dan  work  upon  the  sympathies 
of  the  people  that,  at  many  points,  they 
actually  refused  to  allow  the  opposition  boats 
to  land.  At  some  of  these  places  the  opposi- 
tion had  themselves  incurred  the  displeasure 
of  the  people  by  touching  at  the  landing  only 
long  enough  to  receive  their  audiences,  and 
then  going  into  the  middle  of  the  river  to 
give  their  performances,  thus  avoiding  the 
payment  of  the  license  fee. 

This  lasted  through  the  winter,  and  when 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN          217 

summer  came  both  shows  took  to  their  tents 
and  traveled  toward  New  York  State.  There 
Dan's  enemies  succeeded  on  some  charge  or 
other  in  getting  him  in  jail.  While  in  his  cell 
he  composed  the  song  "Blue  Eagle  Jail,"  in 
which  he  described  the  jailer,  whom  he  dis- 
liked, as  "Dot-and-Go-One,"  from  the  fact  of 
his  having  a  wooden  leg.  This  song  made  the 
one-legged  jailer  notorious  all  over  the  country. 
One  thing  I  must  say  for  Dan  Rice :  He  was 
the  only  original  clown  I  ever  heard — with  the 
single  exception  of  Dilly  Fay.  The  latter  was 
an  erratic  individual  who  actually  became  a 
clown  that  he  might  save  money  to  complete 
his  studies  in  Paris.  Fay  was  educated  and 
original,  but  lacked  the  physical  power  and 
deep  voice  of  Rice.  I  never  heard  of  Fay  after 
he  started  for  Paris,  but  presume  he  never 
reentered  the  ring. 

TAN-BARK    ORATORY    AND    HARLEQUIN    PLUCK 

Once  when  I  was  with  Dan  Rice  on  the  river 
circus  we  showed  at  Memphis.  At  this  place  a 
certain  fellow  was  loud  in  his  denunciation  of 
Dan  and  the  show.  He  was  a  source  of  great 
annoyance  to  the  showman  and  had  also  made 
himself  very  unpopular  by  declaiming  against 
slavery.  In  retaliation  Dan  entered  the  ring 


2i8        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

and  returned  the  compliment  in  kind.  He 
capped  the  climax  by  singing  a  song  in  which 
he  described  his  enemy  as  playing  cards  with  a 
negro  on  a  log,  and  so  boldly  was  this  done 
that  the  people  believed  it  and  the  fellow  be- 
came so  exasperated  that  he  threatened  to  shoot 
Dan.  The  clown,  however,  defied  him,  and 
continued  ridiculing  him  until  the  man  was 
actually  obliged  to  leave  the  city  in  a  hurry. 

Dan  also  had  trouble  at  Yazoo  City,  Missis- 
sippi. He  had,  it  appears,  on  a  former  visit, 
flogged  a  prominent  man  there,  and  the  latter 
had  sworn  to  shoot  him  on  sight.  One  night 
when  Dan  was  clowning  in  the  ring  the  prom- 
inent citizen  entered  and  drew  his  revolver  to 
kill.  A  plucky  bystander,  however,  knocked 
the  iron  from  his  hand  and  prevented  blood- 
shed. The  scene  that  followed  I  shall  never 
forget.  Dan  stood  undaunted  in  the  ring, 
called  the  man  a  coward  and  dared  him  to 
shoot.  His  audience  went  into  ecstacies  over 
such  an  exhibition  of  bravery  and  applauded 
to  the  echo.  Whereupon  Dan,  stimulated  to 
further  efforts,  poured  forth  a  torrent  of  the 
most  stinging  denunciation  of  cowards  that 
ever  fell  from  mortal  lips.  I  have  often  won- 
dered where  Dan  picked  up  such  a  command 
of  language. 


1  A  SPECTATOR  JUMPED  INTO  THE  RING  AND  TRIED 
TO  SHOOT  THE  CLOWN." 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  219 

At  that  time  he  was  not  an  educated  man, 
although  years  after,  when  visiting  him  at  his 
magnificent  house  at  Girard,  Pa. ,  I  found  that 
he  had  a  well-stocked  private  library,  and  he 
had  certainly  become  an  exceedingly  well-read 
man. 

AN    IMITATION    PATRIOT    SHOWN    UP 

My  last  experience  with  Dan  Rice  when  he 
was  in  the  circus  business  was  at  Elkhart,  Ind. 
It  was  a  very  stormy  day  during  the  war. 
The  weather  was  too  windy  to  permit  the  hoist- 
ing of  the  usual  flags,  and  one  pompous  young 
fellow,  inflated  with  conceit,  appointed  himself 
a  committee  and  visited  Dan,  demanding  that 
the  flags  be  hoisted.  He  charged  that  Dan 
had  made  secession  speeches  in  the  South. 
With  an  ugly  mob  at  his  heels  the  fellow  de- 
clared that  if  the  flags  were  not  hoisted  he 
would  burn  the  whole  outfit.  Dan  truthfully 
told  the  crowd  that  he  had  already  erected,  at 
Girard,  Pa. ,  a  monument  to  the  Union  soldiers ; 
that  he  owned  more  flags  than  the  whole  city 
of  Elkhart,  and  that  he  would  show  them  if 
they  desired ;  but  he  absolutely  refused  to  hoist 
a  stitch  of  bunting  upon  such  a  demand. 
Threats  and  arguments  were  alike  powerless 
to  move  him  from  his  stand.  I  thought  him 


220       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

rather  foolish,  in  those  exciting  times,  and 
there  appeared  to  me  great  danger  in  his 
action. 

Dan,  however,  mastered  the  situation.  He 
publicly  announced  that  at  the  night  show  he 
would  give  a  full  history  of  the  leader  of  the 
mob,  and  did  so  with  a  vengeance.  He  had 
learned  by  careful  inquiries  something  of  the 
character  of  this  fellow,  who  was  a  cashier  in  a 
bank,  and  at  the  evening  performance,  and  in 
the  actual  presence  of  the  man  and  his  asso- 
ciates, Dan  mounted  a  stool  and  gave  his 
enemy  such  a  verbal  castigation  as  few  persons 
have  ever  received.  As  he  progressed  in  his 
speech  he  waxed  eloquent,  and  in  a  marvel- 
ously  deep,  clear  and  penetrating  voice  pic- 
tured the  vices  and  foibles  of  this  "patriotic" 
cashier,  until  the  audience  was  ready  to  mob 
the  man.  Suddenly  a  rush  was  made  to  where 
he  had  been  sitting.  But  he  was  gone  and  the 
eloquent  showman  was  a  complete  victor. 

That  night  I  roomed  at  the  hotel  where  Rice 
was  stopping,  and  in  the  morning  he  accom- 
panied me  to  the  depot,  to  see  me  off  for  my 
home  in  the  West.  While  waiting  there  the 
cashier  appeared  and  begged  Dan  to  retract  his 
assertions  of  the  night  before,  declaring  that 
otherwise  he  would  be  run  out  of  town.  Dan 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  221 

replied  that  if  he  did  not  immediately  leave 
him  he  would  receive  the  worst  thrashing  of 
his  life — and  Dan  would  have  kept  his  word,  to 
the  letter,  had  not  the  fellow  beat  a  quick  re- 
treat. I  saw  Rice  but  once  after  that  time,  but 
always  regarded  him  as  a  prince  of  the  circus 
ring. 

At  one  time  we  started  our  show  through 
Kentucky,  where  we  did  a  splendid  business. 
On  this  journey  through  the  South  our  horses 
were  all  caught  in  a  fire  and  so  charred  and 
burned  that  we  had  to  shoot  many  of  them. 
In  Mississippi  we  were  greatly  troubled  and 
delayed  by  the  muddy  roads.  We  were  three 
days  going  a  distance  of  only  eighteen  miles. 
At  one  point,  where  there  was  only  one  house, 
our  tent  was  delayed  on  account  of  the  deep 
mud,  and  we  were  forced  to  show  without  it, 
putting  up  the  seats  in  the  form  of  a  circle, 
thus  making  a  ring  in  which  the  performance 
was  given.  The  people  could  see  the  perform- 
ance without  paying,  but  nearly  all  of  them 
had  principle  enough  to  pay.  A  few  ruffians, 
however,  began  abusing  the  showmen,  and  a 
genuine  fight  ensued,  which  was  a  repetition 
of  most  of  the  others,  and  some  of  the  toughs 
were  badly  hurt.  Our  men  had  all  gone  to  the 
farmhouse  to  bed,  and  I  was  alone  on  the 


222      SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

grounds  to  look  after  my  property,  when,  after 
midnight,  a  crowd  began  to  gather  and  sud- 
denly surrounded  me,  shoving  the  muzzles  of 
their  pistols  and  guns  in  my  face.  This  crowd 
hung  about  until  daylight,  and  I  pleaded  so 
heartily  that  they  did  not  shoot.  The  fact  that 
I  was  then  little  more  than  a  boy  in  years  was, 
I  think,  the  only  reason  I  was  not  instantly 
shot  by  the  ruffians. 

When  our  company  began  to  gather  in  the 
morning  these  ruffians  left,  but  I  shall  never 
forget  that  night  sitting  there  surrounded  by  a 
half-drunken  mob,  in  a  drizzling  fall  of  rain. 
I  was  completely  exhausted  and  half  frozen, 
and  never  before  nor  since  was  I  so  glad  to  see 
daylight  come. 

This  trip  led  us  through  Georgia,  Alabama, 
Florida  and  North  Carolina.  In  those  States 
we  frequently  traveled  at  night,  and  sometimes 
all  night,  illuminating  our  way  by  setting  fire 
to  the  patches  of  gum  on  the  pine  trees  at  the 
spots  where  they  had  been  "blazed"  for  their 
sap.  In  the  mountains  of  North  Carolina  we 
encountered  the  "clay  eaters."  I  was  assured 
that  they  subsisted  to  a  great  extent  upon  a 
certain  kind  of  clay  which  appears  to  be  able 
to  sustain  life.  The  reader  can  imagine  the 
character  and  intelligence  of  these  beings. 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  223 

There  was  also,  in  a  certain  region,  a  strange 
people  who  held  regular  monthly  fairs  where 
they  met  to  barter.  They  were  said  to  be 
descendants  of  a  certain  Scottish  clan,  who, 
when  they  first  came  to  this  country,  were 
fairly  well  civilized,  but  instead  of  settling  in 
the  fertile  soils  and  lowlands,  took  up  their 
homes  in  the  mountains,  because  the  latter 
reminded  them  of  their  native  country.  Here 
they  became  more  and  more  isolated  until,  at 
length,  they  were  governed  solely  by  their 
own  outlandish  laws  and  customs,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  usages  of  civilization.  Outside 
of  the  clay-eating  districts  these  mountain 
people  grew  to  an  enormous  stature  and  pos- 
sessed great  strength.  I  found  them  very 
hospitable,  always  treating  their  guests  with 
marked  kindness. 

IN    WHICH    CUPID    WAS    MASTER    OF    THE    RING 

When  we  went  to  New  Orleans  to  close  up 
and  pay  off  a  show  that  had  been  "flooded  out" 
in  one  of  my  earliest  ventures,  it  was  our  in- 
tention to  take  the  New  Orleans  company  to 
New  York,  but  I  found  it  impracticable.  I 
thereupon  called  all  the  members  to  my  rooms 
at  the  hotel  and  explained  to  them  the  situa- 
tion. I  proposed  to  pay  them  all  off  and  let 


224       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

them  remain  idle  until  the  opening  in  the  fol- 
lowing spring.  To  this  all  agreed  save  two, 
our  principal  riders,  a  woman  and  a  man. 
These  positively  refused  to  make  any  compro- 
mise. The  woman  snapped  her  fingers  in  my 
face  and  said:  "No,  I  was  engaged  for  a  year 
and  you  will  have  to  pay  me  my  salary  just  the 
same.  You  are  able  to  do  it,  and  do  it  you 
shall."  The  man  took  precisely  the  same 
stand,  and  as  they- were  not  only  our  star  rid- 
ers, but  also  the  best  equestrians  in  America, 
I  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do. 

I  took  a  little  time  for  deliberation,  and 
learned  that  both  malcontents  were  very  much 
in  love  with  each  other.  This  immediately 
helped  me  to  determine  what  course  to  pursue. 
I  first  sent  for  the  woman  and  told  her  to  get 
ready  at  once  to  go  to  my  farm  in  Wisconsin, 
where  I  intended  to  build  a  ring  around  a  tree, 
to  furnish  her  with  a  ringmaster,  and  to  allow 
her  to  earn  her  salary  by  giving  two  perform- 
ances daily  to  the  birds  and  squirrels.  She 
claimed  that  her  contract  did  not  call  for  such 
performances,  but  a  reference  to  the  contract 
proved  that  she  was  to  ride  in  any  part  of 
America  I  might  designate.  Then  I  sent  for 
the  man  and  told  him  that  he  and  his  horses 
must  take  the  next  steamer  for  New  York  City. 


' 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  225 

He  refused  to  do  this,  but  I  quickly  proved  to 
him  that  his  contract  with  us,  though  calling 
for  transportation  for  himself  and  horses,  did 
not  specify  of  what  nature  that  transportation 
should  be ;  I  had  a  perfect  right  to  send  him  by 
sailing  vessel  if  I  chose.  His  refusal  to  go  of 
course  canceled  his  contract,  and  I  accordingly 
left  him.  The  woman  expressed  her  willing- 
ness to  go  to  Wisconsin,  but  I  knew  she  could 
not  leave  her  sweetheart — and  I  was  right.  In 
less  than  half  an  hour-±hey  proposed  a  compro- 
mise, but  I  refused.  Finally  I  agreed  to  take 
the  woman  to  New  York  and  pay  her  half  sal- 
ary until  the  season  opened. 

Among  the  many  men  employed  with  the 
Barnum  show  was  one  large,  handsome  fellow 
who  was  superintendent  of  the  equestrian  de- 
partment. As  showmen  are  fond  of  having 
nicknames,  some  one  called  this  man  "Bar- 
num. ' '  The  poor  fellow  was  wholly  illiterate 
and  tolerably  fond  of  whisky,  consequently 
the  name  was  decidedly  inappropriate,  but,  as 
a  nickname  will,  it  stuck  to  him  hard  and  fast. 
One  day,  while  Mr.  Barnum  was  visiting  the 
show,  his  namesake  was  lying  asleep  outside 
one  of  the  horse  tents  on  a  pile  of  hay,  and  one 
of  the  hands,  desiring  to  waken  him,  shouted 
at  the  top  of  his  voice:  "Barnum!  Barnum! 


226       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

Wake  up!"  Mr.  Barnum  had  been  a  witness 
to  this  scene  and  he  came  to  me  in  a  tre- 
mendous rage,  saying:  "Have  you  no  respect 
for  me  at  all?" 

"What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Barnum?' 

"What  do  I  mean?"  he  replied.  "Why,  I 
wish  to  know  your  intent  in  calling  that 
drunken,  illiterate  brute  by  my  name. ' ' 

Of  course,  after  an  explanation,  Mr.  Bar- 
num's  rage  cooled,  but  I  think  he  was  never  so 
much  annoyed  in  his  life.  It  well  illustrates 
how  thoroughly  he  hated  the  vice  of  drunken- 
ness. After  that  episode  strict  injunctions 
were  given  to  refrain  from  calling  the  man 
"Barnum." 

On  one  occasion  when  we  had  run  to  Joplin, 
Mo. ,  the  train  was  divided  into  three  sections, 
the  first  having  been  switched  on  a  siding  to 
wait  for  the  other  two.  I  was  sitting  at  the 
hotel,  eating  breakfast,  when  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  road  came  in  and  announced, 
"I  am  afraid  you  will  not  show  to-day." 

"Why  not?"  I  replied. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "the  section  of  your  train 
that  has  already  pulled  out  has  run  wild  down 
a  steep  grade  over  an  immense  trestle  with 
nothing  but  zigzags  and  reverse  curves.  We 
have  to  run  over  them  with  our  passenger 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  227 

trains  at  a  very  slow  speed,  and,  as  your  cars 
are  top-heavy,  I  can  see  nothing  but  complete 
destruction  for  them." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "can't  you  send  an  engine 
after  the  runaway  section?" 

He  promised  to  do  this  and,  as  there  was 
nothing  more  I  could  do,  I  finished  my  break- 
fast at  leisure. 

BARNUM'S  ONE  UNCONQUERABLE  SUPERSTITION 

The  locomotive  went  out  and  caught  the 
train.  It  had  passed  safely  over  the  trestle 
and  had  reached  a  heavy  ascending  grade. 
Here  it  naturally  lost  its  momentum  and  began 
to  back  down  the  grade  toward  the  city.  I  was 
unaware,  at  that  time,  that  a  passenger  train 
was  then  due  and  that  the  superintendent  fully 
expected  a  collision  to  take  place.  I  can 
assure  my  readers  that  I  drew  a  long  breath 
when  the  operator  looked  up  from  his  key  and 
remarked:  "Thank  the  Lord!  Number  Six, 
the  passenger,  is  an  hour  late ! ' '  Thus  a  dread- 
ful catastrophe  was  prevented.  Two  men 
were  asleep  on  one  of  the  platform  cars  of  the 
circus  train,  and  one  of  them,  in  the  stress  of 
excitement,  jumped  off  and  was  instantly 
dashed  to  pieces  one  hundred  feet  below.  The 


228       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

man  who  stuck  to  the  train  was  saved,  although 
nearly  frightened  to  death. 

Mr.  Barnum,  although  never  particularly 
nervous  about  accidents,  usually  refused  to 
travel  in  the  same  train  with  me,  giving  as  his 
reason  that  should  we  both  be  killed  the  show 
would  be  without  a  head.  Really  he  regarded 
me  as  something  of  a  "hoodoo. ' '  In  the  course 
of  one  trip  from  New  Orleans  to  New  York  we 
were  compelled  to  ride  together,  and  on  that 
occasion  the  sleeper  caught  fire  and  was  very 
nearly  destroyed.  Fortunately  this  happened 
in  the  daytime. 

Not  only  was  Mr.  Barnum  quick  to  grasp  a 
situation,  but  was  also  ready  at  repartee. 
Once,  at  the  hotel  at  Block  Island,  the  dining- 
room  was  crowded  with  people  from  all  over 
America.  One  of  the  guests  was  a  somewhat 
notorious  Mayor  of  a  well-known  Western 
city.  During  a  partial  lull  in  the  conversation, 
this  politician  had  the  temerity  to  bawl  out: 
"Barnum,  what  is  going  to  be  your  next  hum- 
bug? Your  last  one,  the  White  Elephant,  was 
a  failure!"  Mr.  Barnum,  in  a  voice  equally 
loud  and  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  re- 
plied : 

"I  think  my  next  humbug  will  be  the  pres- 
ent Mayor  of  your  city!  I  have  been  twice 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN          229 

Senator  of  my  State  and  three  times  Mayor  of 
Bridgeport;  but  from  what  I  have  learned  of 
politicians  and  their  methods  in  the  West  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  I  am  now  in 
a  far  more  respectable  business — that  of  show- 
man— in  which  no  man  is  either  corrupted  or 
injured." 

GULLIBLE  PATRONS  IN  EARLY  DAYS 

The  people  who  were  patrons  of  the  circus  in 
early  days  were  very  "gullible."  Every  show- 
man ot  ripe  years  has  in  his  memory  incidents 
from  his  own  experience  which  fully  corrobo- 
rate this  statement.  The  old-time  show  was 
an  "event"  of  large  importance  in  the  life  of 
the  small  village,  no  matter  whether  that  vil- 
lage were  hid  among  the  hills  or  were  a  land- 
mark upon  the  open  plains — in  either  instance 
it  was  as  effectually  separated  from  the  rest  of 
mankind  as  if  it  had  been  an  isle  at  sea.  The 
circus,  to  the  villagers  and  the  farmers,  was  an 
unending  cause  of  wonder  and  curiosity. 

Strange  reports  floated  ahead  and  behind  the 
circus — and,  for  the  most  part,  were  believed. 
The  exact  size  of  the  coming  wonder  was  a 
subject  for  animated  discussion.  Of  course  the 
people  did  not  believe  all  that  the  billboards 
said;  but  they  believed  enough  to  credit  the 


230        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

coming  show  with  being  two  or  three  times  as 
large  as  it  really  was  in  fact.  When  a  circus 
proved  to  be  smaller  than  the  popular  esti- 
mate, it  was  said  to  have  split  or  divided,  one 
section  going  to  some  other  "small"  place.  As 
these  rumors  were  never  contradicted  by  the 
showmen  they  spread  rapidly  and  the  circus 
became  near  kin  to  some  fabulous,  hydra- 
headed  sea  serpent — a  creature  which  has  a 
habit  of  taking  on  more  heads  and  bristling 
manes  every  time  it  is  seen.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  it  would  have  been  exceedingly  impractic- 
able to  have  divided  a  show  and,  so  far  as  my 
knowledge  goes  this  was  never  done.  Show- 
men did  not  deny  these  reports  for  the  simple 
reason  that  they  had  no  time  to  answer  ques- 
tions. Many  inquiries  had  hardened  them, 
and,  if  they  ever  relented  in  this  particular  it 
was  only  to  fill  their  auditors'  ears  with  bigger 
yarns  because  that  course  was  the  easiest  way 
to  get  rid  of  the  questioners.  In  explanation 
of  this  I  may  say  that  the  questions  which  are 
"fired"  at  showmen  in  every  town  would  go  a 
long  way  toward  filling  a  volume.  Showmen 
in  the  early  days  had  a  habit  of  agreeing,  with- 
out hesitation,  to  every  story  advanced  by 
patrons.  For  example,  I  remember  that,  on 
coming  into  a  certain  town  we  selected  our  lot 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  231 

and  began  to  pitch  our  tent.  During  the 
process  of  the  work  one  of  our  men — a  strong, 
burly  Irishman — was  approached  by  an  angry 
countryman  who  demanded  to  know  what  had 
become  of  his  calf  which,  it  appeared,  had  been 
stolen  from  him  during  the  run  of  the  last  cir- 
cus which  had  stopped  at  the  town.  Of  course 
the  countryman  had  laid  the  blame  at  the  door 
of  the  circus  men  and,  although  ours  was  an 
entirely  different  show,  it  was  evident  that  all 
circuses  looked  alike  to  him,  and  that  he  be- 
lieved them  all  to  belong  to  a  strongly  knit 
brotherhood  whose  mission  was  for  the  accu- 
mulation of  dollars  and,  incidentally,  the  pro- 
motion of  general  deviltry.  He  threatened 
our  men  with  many  things  if  they  did  not  dis- 
close the  whereabouts  of  his  lost  calf.  ' '  Well, ' ' 
said  big  Pat,  when  the  countryman  had  ceased 
his  tirade;  "now  you  spake  av  it,  Oi  balave  Oi 
do  remember  thot  calf.  We  took  her  down 
here  to  Jonesville  and — domn  me — she's  a  foine 
big  cow  now. ' ' 

EXPEDIENTS    OF    ADVANCE    AGENTS 

In  the  days  of  the  wagon  shows — particularly 
before  and  just  after  the  war — the  advance 
agent  of  the  show  usually  had  many  experi- 
ences to  relate.  Sometimes,  when  the  show 


23*        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

was  traveling  in  the  South,  this  genius  would 
come  upon  some  old  negro  who,  with  ax  over 
his  shoulder,  was  on  his  way  to  the  woods  to 
cut  timber.  When  the  agent  came  up  he  would 
call  out  to  the  negro ; 

"Uncle,  where  you  going?" 
'Ise  gwine  to  chop  fiah  wood,  boss,"  would 
be  the  reply. 

Then  the  agent  would  say:  "Did  you  hear 
about  the  fire  last  night?  We  had  a  big  fire 
last  night,  and  all  our  animals  got  away  from 
us  and  took  to  the  woods.  They're  running 
wild  down  there  now,  elephants,  tigers,  lions — • 
they  all  got  away. ' ' 

Having  finished  relating  this  alarming  bit  of 
news  the  agent  would  reach  under  the  seat  of 
his  buggy,  take  up  the  halter  and  say :  ' '  Here, 
Uncle,  take  this  halter  and  if  you  see  any  of 
those  animals  catch  them  and  take  them  to  the 
tent — we  will  pay  you  a  good  reward  for  each 
and  every  animal.  By  this  time  the  whites  of 
the  negro's  eyes  were  the  most  prominent 
parts  of  his  countenance. 

"No,  sah,"  he  always  managed  to  say  as  he 
backed  off;  "Ise  not  gwine  t'  dem  woods  dis 
day." 

"All  right,"  the  agent  would  respond,  and, 
taking  the  reins,  would  start  on  his  way.  One 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  233 

of  our  agents  had  reached  this  point  in  the  pro- 
gram when  he  heard  the  negro  calling  to  him. 
He  immediately  reined  in  his  horse  and  looked 
back. 

"Say,  boss,"  called  the  old  uncle,  "what 
animal  have  de  mos'  preference  fo'  a  colored 
man — a  lion  or  a  tiger?" 

Whenever  our  advance  wagons  came  upon  a 
field  in  which  the  negroes  were  picking  cotton 
the  negroes  would  immediately  be  observed  to 
edge  toward  the  fence  so  that  they  could  see 
the  show  go  by.  Then  our  men  would  ad- 
vance on  horseback  and  cry  out  lustily: 

"Look  out  boys,  de  elephants  am  comin'; 
climb  yore  trees— dem  elephants  get  you 
shore!"  The  cotton-pickers  seldom  needed  a 
second  warning,  but,  as  one  man,  they  would 
turn  and  make  for  the  other  end  of  the  field  as 
if  they  were  possessed  of  demons.  They  were 
a  very  superstitious  and  impressionable  race. 
The  managers  of  our  show  had  great  difficulty 
in  preventing  the  candy  boys  from  filling  the 
negroes  up  with  ghost  stories,  hoodoo  stories 
and  the  like,  a  course  that  tended  to  scare  them 
away  and  reduce  our  receipts.  One  day  a 
young  fellow,  an  attache"  of  our  show,  went  up 
to  a  group  of  plantation  negroes  and  com- 
menced to  go  through  a  series  of  outlandish 


234        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

contortions  and  crazy  antics.  Finally  one  of 
the  negroes  asked : 

"What  you  all  doin'?" 

"Now  keep  still,"  he  replied,  "I'm  hoo- 
dooin'  that  girl  there."  Finally  the  girl  her- 
self thought  she  was  hoodooed  and  fell  to  the 
ground  kicking  and  screaming.  The  rest  of 
the  negroes  did  not  care  to  linger  in  so  danger- 
ous a  quarter. 

PLANTATION  SHOWS 

In  the  early  days  in  the  South  the  country 
was  so  sparsely  settled  that  we  did  not  content 
ourselves  with  showing  in  the  towns,  but  were 
in  the  habit  of  putting  our  tents  up  on  any 
large  plantation  which  appeared  to  be  centrally 
located  for  a  region  in  which  we  believed  we 
could  make  a  good  "stand. "  It  was  invariably 
our  custom  to  show  in  the  afternoon.  In  the 
evening  the  attache's  of  the  show  were  quite 
apt  to  be  invited  to  a  plantation  dance  or  "hoe- 
down."  The  "acting"  at  these  impromptu 
gatherings  was  of  no  mean  order.  The 
negroes  would  bring  out  all  their  finery  and 
there  was  sure  to  be  a  "Miss  Sue"  or  a  "Miss 
Lucinda"  to  carry  off  the  honors. 

Many  people — and  this  was  particularly  true 
in  the  South — entertained  the  notion  that  cir- 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  235 

cuses  secured  most  of  their  performers  by 
stealing  children.  One  time  when  we  were 
showing  down  in  Texas  an  incident  occurred 
which  will  illustrate  under  what  strong  sus- 
picion we  were  held  in  certain  localities.  It  so 
happened  that  at  the  time  we  were  showing  in 
a  certain  Texas  town,  a  little  colored  chap 
named  "Josh"  became  lost.  Of  course  there 
was  a  great  hubbub  over  this  incident,  and  we 
were  immediately  blamed  for  having  a  hand  in 
the  matter.  A  thorough  search  of  all  our  be- 
longings, however,  failed  to  reveal  to  the  angry 
inhabitants  the  whereabouts  of  the  missing 
boy.  At  intervals  during  the  excitement  the 
boy's  mother,  a  great  negro  "Mammy,"  went 
about  among  her  people  moaning  and  wailing : 

"Ain't  dat  horrible,  ain't  dat  sorrowful,  the 
old  showman  done  stole  little  Josh  away  from 
his  paw  an'  his  maw. "  This  incensed  the  crowd 
and  for  the  time  being  we  were  in  imminent 
danger  of  being  torn  limb  from  limb  by  the 
enraged  crowd.  Finally,  however,  the  missing 
boy  turned  up,  and,  to  make  amends,  the  old 
negress  went  about  exclaiming:  "Little  Josh 
done  got  home;  little  Josh  done  got  home!" 
EXHIBITING  "YANKEES"  IN  THE  SOUTH 

Just  after   the  war  many  of  the  Southern 
people  regarded  a  "Yankee"  as  an  unending 


336       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

wonder.  They  had  heard  so  much  of  Yankee 
ingenuity  that  they  came  to  regard  a  North- 
erner as  a  curiosity.  We  conceived  the  scheme 
of  utilizing  our  knowledge  of  this  fact  to  swell 
our  receipts.  We  advertised  that  we  had  with 
our  show  a  number  of  Yankees  from  various 
States.  The  crier  dilated  upon  the  wonder- 
ful ingenuity  of  the  Yankee  and  told  the  people 
that  if  they  had  any  old  clocks  or  other  things 
which  needed  fixing  that  they  might  bring 
them  and  watch  the  Yankees  fix  them.  Our 
first  attempt  to  put  this  scheme  into  operation 
turned  out  somewhat  disastrously.  It  was 
Saturday  and  the  people  flocked  to  see  the 
Yankees.  When  they  saw,  however,  that 
Yankees  are  a  good  deal  like  other  people  we 
narrowly  escaped  a  riot.  The  attache's  of  our 
show  got  into  trouble  with  the  quarrelsome 
element  of  the  crowd  and  ended  by  boasting 
that  they  were  all  Yankees.  Only  by  the  exer- 
cise of  great  diplomacy  was  a  combat  avoided. 

SLEEPING  IN  STRANGE  ATTITUDES 

As  I  stated  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter, 
our  patrons  at  this  early  day  were  very  gul- 
lible. At  one  place  the  people  had  a  great 
curiosity  to  know  how  the  circus  performers 
slept  at  night.  After  filling  these  questioners 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN          237 

up  with  outlandish  stories  the  attache's  of  the 
show  decided  to  have  a  little  fun  at  their  ex- 
pense. To  bring  this  about  they  bribed  the 
hotel  keeper  to  let  them  have  for  a  sleeping 
room  one  of  the  front  rooms  which  faced  the 
streets.  When  it  became  rumored  about  the 
town  that  the  circus  men  would  occupy  this 
room  a  crowd  composed  of  the  curious  as- 
sembled on  the  sidewalk  outside.  When  night 
came  each  and  every  showman  stood  on  his 
head.  They  ranged  themselves  in  rows  and 
the  countrymen  who  caught  glimpses  of  them 
were  told  that  this  was  the  way  all  showmen 
slept. 

The  advertising  agents  for  a  large  circus  of 
the  present  day  would,  no  doubt,  get  a  good 
deal  of  amusement  from  the  tales  of  the  experi- 
ences of  the  advertising  men  who  traveled  in 
advance  of  the  old-time  wagon  show.  One 
time  when  I  was  traveling  with  a  show  owned 
by  a  man  named  Yankee  Robinson  we  discov- 
ered that  we  were  almost  entirely  out  of  show- 
bills. We  were  for  a  time  in  a  serious  quandary 
— but  we  were  not  to  be  downed  in  this  man- 
ner. We  finally  hired  a  "democrat"  wagon 
and  with  a  single  bill  in  our  possession  started 
out  to  bill  the  country  from  which  we  hoped  to 
draw  our  patrons.  At  the  gate  of  every 


238       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

farmer  we  stopped  and  called  loudly.  When 
the  king  of  the  soil  appeared  we  would  hand 
him  the  bill  and  allow  him  to  read  it ;  then  we 
would  take  the  bill  and  ride  on  to  the  next 
house.  It  was  tedious  work,  but  we  succeeded 
in  drawing  our  crowd  and  felt  repaid  for  our 
efforts. 

THE  CIRCUS  "CRIER" 

It  is  doubtful  if  there  was  to  be  found  a  more 
interesting  character  than  the  circus  crier  in 
the  days  of  the  wagon  shows.  He  was  often  a 
man  of  ability — many  men  who  were  circus 
criers  have  attained  substantial  success  in  the 
world  of  affairs.  They  were  chosen  for  this 
position  largely  on  account  of  their  good  "talk- 
ing" qualities,  and  were,  as  a  rule,  resourceful 
and  given  to  witty  jests.  The  show  once  had 
a  "Little  Man"  whom  they  exhibited  as  Tom 
Thumb.  He  was  in  reality  a  boy  of  about 
eleven  years  of  age.  But  he  was  fitted  out 
with  a  little  carriage  and  ponies,  and  filled  the 
bill  very  well.  When  the  crier  took  his  stand 
in  front  of  the  tent  he  would  call  out : 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen;  we  have  little  Tom 
Thumb  inside.  More  than  this,  we  have  the 
carriage  which  was  presented  to  him  by  her 
Majesty,  Queen  Victoria  of  England.  Ladies 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  239 

and  gentlemen,  Queen  Victoria  gave  this 
superb  outfit  to  him  with  the  words:  'Here, 
Tom  Thumb,  is  the  little  carriage,  together 
with  the  horses,  together  with  the  harness — 
here,  Thomas,  take  it.  Take  these  to  Amer- 
ica; show  it  to  your  countrymen.  Tell  the 
people  of  America  that  it  cost  three  thousand 
pounds  in  our  money  or  $15,000  in  their 
money.  Take  it,  Thomas,  take  it. '  " 

SHOWMEN'S  NAMES 

Showmen  were*  often  given  names  for  the 
city  or  county  in  which  they  were  hired.  Thus 
"Cincinnati  Bill"  or  "Chicago  Jim"  would  not 
only  serve  as  well  as  any  other  name,  but  they 
possessed  this  advantage,  that  they  indicated  in 
a  breath  where  Bill  or  Jim  had  been  picked  up 
by  the  circus.  When  the  show  was  touring 
Texas  we  chanced  to  hire  a  man  in  Bastrop 
county.  Of  course  we  called  him  Bastrop. 
He  proved  to  be  an  "all  around"  handy  man, 
and,  while  he  had  no  professional  training  for 
any  particular  feat  or  "turn,"  he  proved  a 
capable  man  in  whatever  position  he  was 
placed.  One  of  his  early  duties  was  that  of 
driving;  but  there  came  a  time  when  he  was 
given  a  chance  to  distinguish  himself.  After 
we  had  "opened  our* doors"  for  business  in  a 


24o      SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

certain  town  our  crier  was  taken  sick  and  we 
could  think  of  no  better  man  to  take  his  place 
than  Bastrop.  Our  position  was  particularly 
trying  from  the  fact  that  an  opposition  show 
had  started  up  soon  after  we  had  got  under 
way,  and  there  promised  to  be  some  lively 
music  between  us  before  we  left  the  town. 
For  some  reason  or  other  the  opposition  show 
seemed  to  be  doing  the  biggest  business  and 
we  were  unable  to  account  for  it  save  by  the 
fact  that  they  had  a  big  snake  which  seemed  to 
attract  the  crowds.  In  every  crowd  of  coun- 
trymen visiting  a  circus  there  is  sure  to  be 
some  sympathetic  chap  who  is  quick  to  catch 
the  pathos  of  a  thing  of  this  kind  and  try  to 
console  the  one  that  is  being  worsted.  There 
was  such  an  one  in  this  crowd.  This  man 
came  over  to  Bastrop,  stood  watching  the  lat- 
ter's  lips  and  drinking  in  the  marvelous  flow  of 
words  that  proceeded  therefrom.  Finally  he 
blurted  out:  "Wall,  you  don't  appear  to  be 
gettin'  em  as  fast  as  that  young  man  over 
there." 

"No,"  replied  Bastrop,  "I  don't  because  I'm 

no  d Yankee  liar.     But  I've  got  the  best 

show.  I  am  from  Bastrop,  Bastrop  County, 
Texas.  I  have  got  a  human  family — Master 
Eastwood  of  Ohio,  the  Iflnely  star  that  is  now 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN          241 

shining  for  you.  If  I  had  the  merits  and  quali- 
fications of  Master  Eastwood  [Eastwood  could 
write  and  Bastrop  couldn't]  I  would  now  fill 
the  President's  chair.  Then  I  have  the  "Little 
Man"  with  the  chariot  and  horses  presented 
by  Queen  Victoria.  Then  I  have  the  tall  man. 
The  great  curiosity  is  why  one  should  grow  so 
small  and  the  other  remain  so  large.  Why, 
ever  since  Adam,  people  have  beer;  of  the 
human  family,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  human 
family  where  would  the  show  be?"  This  sort 
of  talk  given  out  with  a  showman's  gusto 
would  be  sure  to  draw  a  crowd. 

THE  ESCAPE  OF  A  LEOPARD 

In  the  days  when  one  large  tent  answered  for 
both  the  circus  and  menagerie  we  once  met 
with  an  experience  that  seemed  to  reverse  all 
the  laws  relative  to  the  handling  of  animals. 
We  were  stopping  at  a  small  place  in  Indiana. 
The  crowd  which  we  had  managed  to  get 
under  the  canvas  was  a  large  one,  and  they 
were  taking  in  the  show  with  all  the  eyes  they 
had.  Suddenly  one  of  our  leopards,  made  un- 
easy by  something  or  other,  managed  to  make 
his  escape  from  the  cage.  With  a  snarling  cry 
the  creature  ran  into  the  ring  where  the  ponies 
were  doing  their  "turn."  The  presence  of 


242       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

this  ferocious  animal  almost  threw  the  crowd 
into  hysterics — women  screamed  and  men 
shouted;  some  of  them  made  a  hasty  exit 
under  the  canvas  wall.  Meanwhile  the  leop- 
ard had  crouched  for  a  spring.  All  the  wild- 
ness  of  the  jungles  seemed  to  have  returned  to 
his  veins  and  shone  out  in  the  flashes  from  his 
cat-like  eyes  in  a  way  to  send  terror  to  the 
heart  of  the  veteran  trainer.  The  crowd 
seemed  to  hold  its  breath  for  an  instant  as  the 
critical  moment  came.  With  a  peculiar  scream 
the  creature  leaped  into  the  air  and  landed 
squarely  upon  the  back  of  the  nearest  pony. 
At  this  exciting  juncture  a  drunken  country- 
man was  seen  making  his  way  toward  the  ring. 
People  shouted  to  him,  but  to  no  avail ;  the  fel- 
low swaggered  on  into  the  ring  and  made 
straight  for  the  leopard.  The  pony  was  rear- 
ing frantically  and  crying  piteously.  As  the 
madman  ran  he  grabbed  up  a  whip  which  had 
been  lying  in  the  ring  and  approached  the 
leopard  with  upraised  hand.  The  creature  was 
too  busily  engaged  with  the  pony  to  take  notice 
of  its  new  enemy.  Soon  the  air  was  filled  with 
the  sound  of  resounding  blows,  that  fell  upon 
the  back  of  the  leopard.  Soon  the  creature 
was  compelled  to  loosen  its  hold ;  but  the  man 
did  not  stop.  With  an  awful  frenzy  he  rained 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  243 

the  blows  upon  the  creature  until  the  animal 
whined  with  terror.  By  this  time  the  trainers 
had  arrived  on  the  scene  and  the  creature  was 
driven  back  to  its  cage  thoroughly  cowed.  But 
the  madman  was  not  satisfied.  He  continued 
to  prance  about  in  the  ring,  kicked  up  his  heels 
and  shouted:  "Turn  yer  elephants  and  lions 
loose !"  Of  course  he  was  the  hero  of  the  hour. 

HOTEL    KEEPERS 

We  used  to  have  many  amusing  experiences 
with  hotel  proprietors,  particularly  when  we 
were  showing  in  regions  in  which  the  Irish  or 
Germans  comprised  the  greater  part  of  the 
population.  For  policy  we  made  a  practice  of 
humoring  these  peoples  and  made  it  a  rule 
always  to  be  friendly  with  them. 

One  of  our  showmen  once  had  an  educated 
pig  that  he  had  named  Bismarck.  The  pig  was 
carried  in  a  sort  of  box  cage  on  the  side  of 
which  was  printed  "Hotel  de  Bismarck." 
Coming  into  one  town  the  population  of  which 
was  largely  German  we  found  that  we  had 
pulled  a  storm  over  our  heads.  The  German 
residents  were  insulted  that  a  pig  should  be 
named  after  the  beloved  founder  of  their  em- 
pire, and  threatened  summary  vengeance.  It 
was  only  by  making  many  promises  that  we 


244        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

escaped  with  whole  skins.  But  speaking  of 
hotels :  In  billing  a  town  in  which  there  were 
several  hotels  run  by  Irishmen  our  advance 
agent  usually  promised  each  hotel  proprietor 
that  his  particular  hotel  should  be  patronized 
by  the  show.  As  a  result  of  this  I  usually 
found  myself  in  an  extremely  embarrassing 
position  when  the  show  arrived  at  the  town. 
Of  course  I  could  not  patronize  all  of  the 
hotels,  and,  at  the  same  time,  it  was  necessary 
for  us  to  keep  the  good  will  of  the  proprietors. 
I  usually  went  around  to  all  of  the  disappointed 
ones,  gave  them  free  tickets,  praised  their  chil- 
dren, their  wives ;  berated  our  advance  agent 
and  promised  better  things  for  next  time.  In 
the  end  I  managed  to  make  friends  with  them 
and  left  them  with  no  bad  tastes  in  their 
mouths.  I  have  always  found  them  a  jovial 
and  reasonable  people.  Of  course  the  hotel 
that  did  secure  our  patronage  always  had 
something  to  look  back  upon.  It  was  a  day  of 
hustling,  of  real  business,  that  came  only  once 
or  twice  in  a  lifetime.  In  those  days  napkins 
were  entirely  unknown.  At  one  place  some  of 
our  showmen  asked  the  waitress  to  bring  them 
napkins,  and  she  answered:  "I  am  sorry,  sirs, 
but  the  last  show  that  was  here  ate  them  all 
up." 


SHOWS  AND  SHOWMEN  «45 

EARLY    BREAKFASTS 

It  was  often  necessary  for  the  showmen  to 
have  their  breakfast  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  this,  as  the  reader  may  well 
imagine,  made  it  impracticable  for  the  keeper 
of  the  little  country  hotel  to  go  to  bed  at  all. 
He  usually  stayed  up  all  night  on  a  "star" 
occasion  of  this  kind  and  cooked  for  his  deluge 
of  boarders.  The  following  little  incident  may 
illustrate  the  situation  better,  perhaps,  than  I 
can  tell  it:  We  had  just  hired  a  man  to  travel 
with  our  wagons.  He  was  a  "green"  hand; 
but  he  felt  it  necessary,  of  course,  to  fill  the 
proprietor  of  the  little  hotel  where  we  stopped 
with  an  appreciation  of  a  showman's  impor- 
tance. He  got  up  about  two  o'clock  to  attend 
to  the  horses.  As  he  passed  out  he  came  upon 
the  hotel  keeper  who,  with  sleeves  rolled  up, 
was  working  for  all  he  was  worth. 

The  new  attache"  stretched  himself,  yawned 
and  said:  "I'll  tell  you  what,  this  is  the  last 
season  that  I'm  goin'  to  travel  with  a  show." 
"Yes,"  replied  the  other,  "I  guess — next  to 
keeping  a  tavern — the  circus  business  is  about 
the  hardest  goin'." 

We  once  had  with  our  show  a  woman  whom 
we  were  exhibiting  for  her  immense  size.  To 


1 
246        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

enhance  her  value  as  a  feature  in  the  eyes  of 
the  countrymen  she  wore  a  gorgeous  crown  set 
with  cheap  but  flashy  stones.  The  crier  would 
tell  the  people  that  the  crown  had  been  pre- 
sented to  the  woman  by  the  Prince  of  Wales 
and  that  it  cost,  in  England,  5,000  pounds. 
Then  the  people  would  go  in,  examine  it,  and 
exclaim:  "See  the  green  diamonds  and  the 
blue  diamonds  and  the  red  diamonds!"  Once, 
when  I  was  in  a  hotel  in  Wisconsin,  I  heard 
two  waitresses  talking  about  the  show.  One 
said  she  did  not  believe  the  crown  cost  such  an 
amount.  The  other  said : 

"Well;    we   can't  tell,   of   course;    we  only 
know  what  we  hear — but  wasn't  it  beautiful!" 


XII 

HOW  THE   GREAT   NEW  YORK   AQUA- 
RIUM WAS  MADE  AND  LOST 

Every  prominent  showman  has  had  some 
venture  into  which  he  has  put  his  whole  heart. 
Nothing-  in  my  career  touched  and  moved  me 
like  the  great  New  York  Aquarium  enterprise. 
Into  this  I  not  only  put  a  fortune — more  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars  than  were  ever 
put  into  anything  of  the  kind  before  or  since — 
but  I  also  invested  the  ambitions  of  my  life. 

I  was  inspired  by  a  profound  desire  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  natural  science  in  what 
appeared  to  me  its  most  picturesque  and  at- 
tractive field — the  marine  world;  and  every- 
thing concerned  in  this  mammoth  undertaking 
exercised  a  strange  fascination  over  me.  All 
commercialism  vanished,  and  I  was  as  true  and 
devoted  a  student  of  the  wonders  which  I  had 
collected  as  was  the  most  erudite  scientist  that 
had  ever  looked  upon  that  strange  assemblage 
of  creatures  from  the  depths  of  arctic  and 
torrid  oceans. 

247 


248        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

Night  after  night  I  remained  alone  in  the 
great  museum  for  the  purpose  of  studying  the 
habits  of  those  fishes  which  displayed  their 
most  peculiar  traits  while  the  world  slept. 
The  finale  of  this  enterprise  was,  it  seems  to 
me,  in  keeping  with  its  remarkable  character, 
and  anything  less  picturesque  than  that  which 
actually  transpired  in  this  connection  would 
have  fallen  short  of  poetic  justice.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  never  before  had  the 
scientific  world  been  permitted  to  view  so 
comprehensive  a  collection  of  the  varied  and 
almost  numberless  types  of  deep  sea  life. 

Neither  money  nor  pains  was  spared  to  the 
end  of  maintaining  an  aquarium  approximating 
that  of  my  fondest  dreams.  Early  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  gigantic  enterprise  I  became  asso- 
ciated with  a  member  of  one  of  the  great 
animal  importing  houses,  a  German,  my 
partner,  although  I  undertook  the  active  man- 
agement of  the  institution. 

The  Aquarium  was  first  opened  in  October, 
1876,  the  year  of  the  Centennial,  and  I  think  I 
may  truthfully  say  that  the  former  received  as 
frequent  mention  in  the  press  of  the  day  as  did 
the  latter. 

My  connection  with  the  Aquarium  afforded 
me  an  opportunity  to  meet  and  become  ac- 


NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM  249 

quainted  with  the  leading  scientists  and 
literary  people  of  the  day.  I  know  of  no  insti- 
tution of  the  kind  that  has  been  opened  to  the 
public  under  more  favorable  auspices.  It  was 
looked  upon  as  an  institution  of  education,  and 
public  and  private  schools  attended  in  bodies. 
Men  who  have  grown  rich  in  the  dime-museum 
business  believe  that  the  public  do  not  wish 
instruction,  but  prefer  to  be  amused  with  fakes. 
Nevertheless,  the  financial  success  of  the  New 
York  Aquarium,  during  the  period  when  it 
received  its  strongest  support  from  the  clergy 
and  the  men  of  science,  has  proved  the  allega- 
tion of  the  fake  museum  proprietors  to  be  false. 

THE  QUEST  OF  THE  THREE-TAILED  KINGIO 

On  the  first  opening  of  the  New  York  Aqua- 
rium I  exhibited  a  fish  from  Japanese  waters 
which  was  no  larger  than  a  man's  hand.  The 
Japanese  name  of  this  species  is  kingio,  and 
the  fish  is  very  handsome  in  appearance,  hav- 
ing three  perfect  tails,  and  is  so  graceful  in  its 
movements  that  these  tails  resemble  folds  of 
beautiful  lace.  It  was  presented  to  me  by  a 
friend  of  mine  in  Baltimore,  who  was  in  the 
habit  of  spending  a  portion  of  each  year  in 
Japan.  Knowing  how  far  advanced  are  the 
Japanese  in  pisciculture,  this  gentleman  sue- 


250        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

ceeded  in  persuading  me  to  interest  myself  in 
their  methods.  I  soon  learned  that  these  three- 
tailed  fishes  were  the  result  of  the  Japanese 
system  of  breeding,  of  which  they  alone  knew 
the  secret,  and  when,  on  investigation,  I  learned 
that  their  waters  contain  many  varieties  of  fish 
of  gorgeous  colors,  I  determined  to  spare  no  ex- 
pense to  possess  a  collection  from  this  coast, 
especially  after  I  learned  that  even  Nature 
itself  seemed  reversed  there,  and  that  there  are 
fishes  in  those  waters  that  swim  on  their  backs. 
Supplying  a  trusty  agent  with  the  necessary 
money,  I  first  sent  him  to  Yokohama,  with  let- 
ters of  introduction  to  some  friends  of  mine. 
Here,  assisted  by  the  natives,  he  commenced 
forming  his  collection.  The  captured  fish  were 
placed  in  a  series  of  tanks  swung  from  the  deck 
of  the  steamer,  and  so  arranged  that  a  constant 
flow  of  water  from  a  cheaply  improvised  reser- 
voir should  keep  the  fish  in  a  healthy  condi- 
tion. However,  the  use  of  this  device  proved 
the  inexperience  of  the  agent,  for,  although 
the  fish  managed  to  thrive  for  about  twenty 
days'  time,  one  after  another  died  until,  on  the 
twenty-eighth  day  of  the  voyage,  on  landing  in 
San  Francisco,  he  was  obliged  to  wire  me  that 
not  a  single  fish  had  survived  the  passage. 
My  answer  was:  "Take  the  same  steamer  back 


NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM  251 

to  Japan  and  try  again."  This  he  did,  with 
somewhat  better  success,  reaching  San  Fran- 
cisco with  eighteen  live  fish  belonging  to  rare 
and  beautiful  species.  From  his  description  I 
judged  that  they  could  not  be  worth  less  than 
$1,000  each.  My  hopes  were  high  for  the 
ultimate  success  of  the  undertaking.  But  my 
pleasure  was  destined  to  be  short-lived,  as  my 
agent  arrived  at  the  Aquarium  with  only  one 
living  fish.  The  changeable  climate  and  the 
overland  journey  had  been  too  much  for  the 
delicate  beauties  from  Oriental  waters,  and  one 
by  one  they  had  expired,  leaving  "a  sole  sur- 
vivor to  tell  the  tale." 

Just  as  a  matter  of  personal  curiosity  I  fig- 
ured up  the  cost  of  this  precious  member  of  the 
finny  tribe  from  far-away  Japan.  He  cost  me 
more  than  $2,200  in  gold.  This  may  be 
scoffed  at  by  some  as  a  very  fishy  fish  story, 
but  when  it  is  remembered  that  this  specimen 
respresented  the  outlay  of  two  expeditions 
from  America  to  Japan,  including  expenses  for 
tanks,  Japanese  assistance,  and  all  the  ocean 
transportation,  it  will  easily  be  realized  that 
this  statement  is  within  reasonable  limits. 

HALF-HOURS    WITH    BASHFUL    WHALES 

We  were  equally  zealous  in  our  efforts  to 
obtain  the  largest  living  creatures  of  the  deep ; 


252        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

and  the  fact  that  we  exhibited  live  whales 
from  the  Isle  Aux  Condries  was  proof  of  our 
enterprise  in  this  direction.  Whales  are  timid, 
stupid  creatures;  in  pursuit  of  small  fish  they 
run  up  close  to  the  shore,  and  are  captured  by 
a  comparatively  simple  method.  Across  the 
mouth  of  some  deep  bay  a  line  of  piles  is 
driven  when  the  water  is  at  low  tide ;  then  the 
fishing  fleet  only  awaits  the  arrival  of  a  school 
of  cetacea.  These  will  sooner  or  later  be  seen 
rushing  madly  shoreward  in  pursuit  of  the 
schools  of  smaller  fish  on  which  they  feed. 
When  the  whales  are  sighted  the  fishing  vessels 
separate  and  endeavor  to  surround  the  assem- 
blage of  marine  monsters.  At  high  tide,  when 
the  line  of  piles  is  deeply  submerged,  the  fleet 
crowds  in  toward  the  shore,  and  the  frightened 
whales  take  refuge  in  the  bay.  Here  they  re- 
main undisturbed,  and  are  generally  quiet  until 
they  feel  the  tide  receding.  Then  they  be- 
come restless,  and  finally  make  a  dash  for  deep 
water,  only  to  run  against  the  line  of  piles. 
It  would  be  comparatively  easy  for  a  big  whale 
to  batter  a  great  gap  in  the  improvised  fence, 
and,  in  fact,  there  is  frequently  room  enough 
between  certain  piles  for  him  to  pass  through 
unharmed,  but  he  is  naturally  timid  and  cow- 
ardly, and  when  within  a  yard  or  two  of  the 


NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM  253 

piles,  wheels  about  and  darts  back  in  terror 
toward  the  shore.  This  fruitless  and  exhaust- 
ing manoeuvre  is  kept  up  until  the  tide  has 
completely  gone  out  and  he  is  left  helpless  and 
stranded.  In  all  my  experience  in  this  peculiar 
line  of  live  fishing  I  have  never  known  a  whale 
to  break  through  the  barrier  of  piles  and  make 
his  escape. 

The  boxing  and  transportation  to  New  York 
of  these  big  fish  was  a  great  labor,  and  it  often 
took  fifty  strong  men  several  hours  to  get  one 
of  the  monsters  into  its  traveling  case.  Once 
in  its  box,  water  had  to  be  poured  over  the 
back  and  blowholes  of  the  imprisoned  whale. 
The  water  pouring,  by  the  way,  was  a  monot- 
onous and  tiresome  job  which  had  to  be 
continued  without  intermission  during  the 
subsequent  ninety  hours  while  the  whale  was 
being  carried  by  vessel  to  Quebec,  thence  by 
rail  via  Montreal  and  Albany  to  New  York. 
The  water  in  which  they  lie  must  not  cover 
their  blow-holes,  for,  having  no  room  to  move 
they  would  be  unable  to  rise  and  breathe  and 
consequently  would  drown.  Their  boxes, 
therefore,  were  tight  from  the  bottom  up  only 
as  far  as  their  eyes.  Above  that  line  there 
were  cracks  for  the  surplus  water  to  flow  off, 
and  it  was  necessary  for  a  man  to  stand  over 


254       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  whale  and  constantly  drench  him  until  the 
receiving  tank  was  reached, — a  difficult  under- 
taking. 

I  contracted  to  send  a  living  whale  to  A.  A. 
Stewart,  of  the  ./Etna  Insurance  Company,  a 
speculator,  who  with  others  in  Cincinnati  de- 
cided they  wanted  a  whale.  For  a  certain  sum 
of  money,  therefore,  I  agreed  to  land  one  alive 
in  that  city.  This  venture  made  me  much 
trouble  and  great  expense,  for,  notwithstand- 
ing the  great  care  exercised  the  animal  died 
enroute,  and  it  was  not  until  three  had  been 
lost  that  I  succeeded,  June  26,  1877,  in  landing 
one  alive.  This  was  considered  a  great 
achievement  and  was  telegraphed  all  over  the 
nation. 

A    SLIPPERY    DEAL    IN    SEA-LIONS 

In  1870  my  men  captured  the  first  seals,  or 
"sea-lions,"  as  we  termed  them.  The  hunters 
experienced  no  difficulty  in  ensnaring  these 
creatures  by  means  of  wire  nets.  This  obser- 
vation is  a  most  interesting  one  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  later  we  found  it  impossible  to  procure 
them  by  this  method,  showing  that  their 
intuitive  sense  of  self -protection  had  taught 
them  to  fear  man  and  to  avoid  his  devices. 
No  sooner  did  we  find  that  these  curious  crea- 


NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM  255 

tures  had  learned  wisdom  from  the  experience 
of  their  unfortunate  fellows  than  we  set  about 
to  originate  some  other  plan  by  which  we 
might  make  captives. 

Each  of  our  first  seals  cost  more  than  would 
five  good  specimens  to-day,  and  they  died  be- 
fore we  could  perfect  our  arrangements  for 
exhibiting  them.  This  was  very  discouraging, 
but  we  determined  to  try  again,  and  our  re- 
newed efforts  were  rewarded  with  better  suc- 
cess. One  of  the  captives  was  an  enormous 
creature  and  lived  until  the  Fourteenth  Street 
fire,  when  he  was  burned,  together  with  $300,- 
ooo  worth  of  other  personal  property. 

Some  of  these  monster  sea-lions  are  very 
deceiving  when  seen  in  their  native  element 
and  surroundings.  At  a  little  distance  they 
do  not  appear  larger  than  an  ordinary  New- 
foundland dog,  but  when  captured  are  found 
to  weigh  from  twelve  hundred  to  two  thousand 
pounds,  and  to  measure  from  thirteen  to  fif- 
teen feet  in  length.  It  is  a  splendid  sight  to 
see  these  glossy  creatures  leap  from  overhang- 
ing cliffs  into  the  water  fully  fifty  feet  below. 

After  our  first  capture  there  was  a  great  de- 
mand for  these  animals  from  superintendents 
of  zoological  gardens  in  all  the  large  cities  of 
this  and  foreign  countries.  Realizing  the  large 


256        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

profits  to  be  acquired  by  meeting  this  demand, 
I  greatly  desired  to  replenish  our  stock  of  sea- 
lions,  and  made  an  arrangement  to  that  end 
with  a  man  in  California.  We  supplied  him 
with  all  the  money  he  required,  which  mounted 
high  in  the  thousands  of  dollars  by  the  time  he 
had  captured  about  three  carloads  of  the  inter- 
esting creatures.  The  man  then  came  on  to 
New  York  and  delivered  ten  of  the  animals  to 
us,  stating  that  the  others  were  en  route.  We 
at  once  wrote  to  the  zoological  gardens  at  Cin- 
cinnati and  Philadelphia,  offering  to  supply 
them  with  these  rare  animals.  Imagine  my 
surprise  and  indignation  when  I  received 
answers  to  these  communications,  stating  that 
the  gardens  had  already  procured  sea-lions — 
from  our  agent !  Of  course  we  instantly  made 
an  investigation,  and  discovered  that  this 
crafty  hunter  had  also  supplied  various  Euro- 
pean institutions  with  sea-lions,  for  the  capture 
of  which  we  had  furnished  the  money.  The 
fellow  disappeared  before  we  were  thoroughly 
alive  to  the  extent  of  the  swindle  which  he  had 
carried  forward  to  such  a  brilliant  success,  and 
I  have  never  seen  him  since.  As  he  was  "a 
canny  Scot,"  he  probably  retired  to  his  native 
heath  and  purchased  himself  a  castle  in  the 
Highlands.  Certainly  he  could  easily  have 


NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM          257 

done  this  on  the  proceeds  of  his  nefarious 
enterprise,  for  at  that  time  the  sea-lions  com- 
manded from  $2,000  to  $2,500  each  in  the 
European  cities,  and  the  market  could  not  be 
satisfied  even  at  that  price.  Take  several  car- 
loads of  sea-lions  at  these  figures  and  the  total 
would  represent  a  snug  little  fortune. 

Afterwards  when  I  opened  the  New  York 
Aquarium,  I  bought  a  large  sea  lion,  had  an 
immense  tank  built,  and  a  rock  cliff  made  for 
him  so  he  could  jump  into  the  water  and  sport 
around ;  but  he  kept  up  such  a  constant  bark- 
ing that  he  became  a  great  nuisance.  Having 
a  showman  friend  who  intended  to  spend  the 
winter  in  Bermuda  I  permitted  him  to  take  the 
animal  for  exhibition  purposes.  Some  few 
weeks  afterwards  I  was  surprised  to  receive  a 
note  from  my  friend  saying  he  had  returned 
the  sea-lion  and  that  he  would  follow  on  the 
next  boat.  No  sooner  was  the  sea-lion  com- 
fortably ensconced  in  his  old  quarters  than  he 
again  began  barking  to  such  an  extent  that  I 
heartily  wished  him  in  the  Atlantic.  His 
appetite,  too,  was  most  voracious,  and  we  could 
scarcely  get  enough  live  fish  to  satisfy  him. 
The  strange  thing  about  it  was,  as  I  learned  on 
the  arrival  of  my  showman  friend  from  Ber- 
muda, the  old  fellow  had  refused  food  during 


258        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

the  whole  trip,  and  instead  of  barking  and 
attracting  attention,  as  we  had  hoped  he  would 
do,  he  had  silently  sulked  until  once  more  in 
the  old  home  in  the  Aquarium.  From  this  I 
gather  that  the  barking  which  was  so  disagree- 
able to  us  must  have  been  his  expression  of  joy. 
The  fact  that  he  lived  so  long  without  food  is 
most  remarkable. 

AN  EVENTFUL  MONDAY  MORNING  AT  THE  AQUARIUM 

So  far  as  I  am  able  to  learn,  no  enterprise  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  New  York  Aquarium 
was  ever  disposed  of  on  the  flip  of  a  penny. 
This  transaction  may  not,  at  first  thought, 
appeal  to  the  church  people  of  the  country  as 
being  right,  and  the  average  business  man  will 
doubtless  condemn  it  as  unbusinesslike.  The 
attending  circumstances,  however,  were  pecu- 
liar. This  true  story  was  never  made  public 
by  my  partner  or  myself,  and  the  transaction 
always  had  a  touch  of  mystery  in  the  eyes  of 
the  showmen  of  the  country. 

From  the  opening  of  the  Aquarium  until  a 
certain  eventful  day  its  success,  financially, 
scientifically  and  morally,  was  unqualified. 
This,  as  I  have  already  intimated,  was  in  large 
measure  due  to  the  enthusiastic  support  of 
clergymen,  scientists  and  educators,  whose 


NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM  259 

commendations  brought  us  the  patronage  of 
the  intelligent  masses  with  whom  these  emi- 
nent leaders  of  thought  had  the  greatest  influ- 
ence. 

I  received  scores  of  letters  from  celebrated 
divines  indorsing  the  Aquarium,  and  these 
were,  of  course,  made  use  of  in  the  way  of 
advertising.  My  partner  was  a  German  and 
could  not  appreciate  the  American  feeling  for 
the  Sabbath. 

He  was  determined  to  open  the  doors  of  the 
museum  for  Sunday  patronage,  declaring  that 
this  would  bring  in  a  very  large  number  of 
people  who  were  naturally  inclined  to  Sabbath- 
day  pleasure-seeking,  and  were  quite  generally 
interested  in  things  of  a  scientific  nature.  He 
continued  this  campaign  of  argument  for  two 
years,  during  which  I  steadfastly  urged  that 
such  a  step  would  be  an  offense  to  the  belief  of 
the  majority  of  our  patrons;  that  it  would 
bring  into  the  place  an  undesirable  element, 
from  which  it  had  been  entirely  free,  and  that 
the  enterprise  was  enjoying  a  steady  prosperity 
with  which  it  would  be  wise  to  remain  content. 

Then  I  repeatedly  tried  to  buy  his  interest  in 
the  Aquarium,  but  he  steadfastly  refused  to 
yield  a  single  point,  and  became  more  imper- 
ative in  his  demands  for  Sunday  opening. 


260       SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

This  persistency  and  increasing  aggressiveness 
at  last  wore  me  out.  One  Monday  morning,  as 
he  dropped  in  at  the  office  and  once  more 
brought  up  the  old  contention,  I  determined 
that  it  should  be  settled,  in  one  way  or  an- 
other, before  he  left  the  room.  Instinctively  I 
felt  there  was  no  use  offering  to  purchase  his 
interest,  for  I  had  previously  gone  to  the  limit 
of  reason  in  that  direction. 

THE  ULTIMATE  FATE  OF  THE  AQUARIUM 

Calmly  and  coolly  I  took  a  mental  survey  of 
the  whole  situation  during  a  moment  of  silence 
between  his  arguments  for  Sunday  opening. 
In  addition  to  the  Aquarium,  we  also  had  a 
joint  interest  in  four  giraffes  and  five  small  ele- 
phants. The  Aquarium  was  worth  at  least 
half  a  million  dollars,  as  it  included  the  two 
acres  of  land  at  Coney  Island,  on  which  was 
located  our  storage  and  supply  aquarium,  from 
which  the  exhibition  house  was  replenished 
with  attractions. 

Suddenly,  as  if  waking  out  of  a  reverie,  I 
fairly  startled  my  partner  with  the  exclama- 
tion: 

"See  here!  we  can  never  agree  on  this  Sun- 
day business  in  the  world.  I'll  stump  you  to 
flip  a  penny  to  see  which  one  of  us  shall  take 


NEW  YORK  AQUARIUM          261 

those  giraffes  and  elephants  as  his  portion  and 
walk  out  of  this  place  next  Saturday  night, 
leaving  the  other  in  full  possession  of  all  the 
Aquarium  property." 

"All  right,"  he  calmly  answered,  and  led  the 
way  into  the  private  office.  There  he  drew  up 
a  brief  statement  embodying  my  proposition. 
We  both  signed  it,  and  then  I  reached  into  my 
pocket  and  drew  forth  an  old-fashioned  copper 
cent. 

"Heads  I  win,  tails  you  win,"  said  the  Ger- 
man, as  I  poised  the  coin  on  the  nail  of  my 
thumb.  As  I  nodded  assent  to  this  I  realized 
that  not  only  my  fortune,  but  the  dearest 
dreams  of  my  life  depended  upon  the  fall  of 
that  copper.  More  to  me  than  this,  however, 
was  the  thought  that  my  wife  had  become  in- 
tensely interested  and  strongly  attached  to  this 
.mdertaking — so  much  so  that  it  was  her'  per- 
sonal pride  and  joy.  Still  another  considera- 
tion which  flashed  through  my  mind  at  that 
instant  was  the  realization  that  if  I  lost  it 
would  mean  months  and  years  of  the  same  sort 
of  homeless  wandering  life  that  I  had  lived 
while  building  up  the  fortune  invested  in  the 
Aquarium.  These  thoughts  and  many  others 
flashed  through  my  mind  in  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  tell  them.  After  scarcely  a  moment's 


262        SAWDUST  AND  SPANGLES 

hesitation  I  sent  the  coin  spinning  into  the 
air.  It  dropped  upon  the  desk,  and  I  can  no,, 
see  just  how  the  light  fell  upon  the  fateful 
"head"  which  transferred  my  fortune  to  my 
partner !  Instantly  I  executed  to  him  a  bill  of 
sale,  covering  my  entire  interest  in  the  con- 
cern. 


THE  END 


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